Tale of the Judged
by M.Hunter Traubel Trainee
Summary: It's been three years since the Great Kharlan Tree has been replanted, and the party has split up. Within the time, everyone has completed their journey, but for one group, their journey has not ended. Rating now T, Mostly Regal Presea
1. Return to Toize Valley

Hi everyone! My name is M.Hunter Traubel Trainee and I'm a new author on this site. This is my first story, so please go easy on me. Anyway, enjoy!

**Chapter 1: Return to Toize Valley**

It has been three years since the party of eight split, each leaving on their own journey. Within that time, they had accomplished their goals. The linked worlds of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla experienced a new era of peace and prosperity. There was no more discrimination, no more vying for mana, and no more lives lost for the Chosen or exspheres. However, as one journey ends, another one begins. For one group, the journey has not ended, it was just beginning.

Lezrano Company

"Hello Alicia."

Regal stood before his lover's grave up on the Sky Terrace. It was the three year anniversary of the rebirth of the Great Kharlan Tree, now known as Yggdrasil. He had changed since then. He got rid of his prisoner's garb and removed his handcuffs, as he promised, and now wore an office suit, similar to the one he wore at the dinner party. His wore metal bracelets on each wrist and cut his hair short, riding him of the ponytail and some loose strands. He also had removed his greaves from the previous journey, leaving him in plain dress shoes.

Regal sighed, "It's only been three years, yet it feels like an eternity. I'm sorry I haven't spoken with you for a period of time, I was preoccupied with my work." He bowed slightly, "I only wish you were here Alicia, to see the new world that we have created. There is little discrimination among half elves, no lives lost for the sake of the Chosen, and… no innocent lives lost for the purpose of exspheres. Now there will be no innocent victims like you, lost because of exsphere experiments."

He paused briefly, "Presea is doing well. She has regained her body and seems to be feeling better. I only hope in the end, she doesn't suffer the same fate you had. I swear upon your grave that I will protect her, no matter how grave the situation, I will protect her."

"President Bryant?" A voice called, startling Regal. He turned and saw Presea Combatir, his assistant. She had indeed grown since three years ago, she no longer looked twelve, but around her thirties. She wore an office uniform as well, complete with a light black blouse and matching skirt along with heels. Her pink hair went a little past her shoulders, and in place of the two pigtails was a single ponytail. She wore a bracelet on her right wrist which contained a key crest, and also negated the effects of her cruxis crystal. Regal was able to find it in the Toize Valley Mine before it was closed down, and with Altessa's help, he was able to create a key crest that could negate Presea's crystal. He gave it to her for her birthday and within a month, she returned to her normal age.

"Presea, you can just call me Regal." Regal said.

"I know. it's just that 'President Bryant' is more formal. I'm sorry, was I disturbing you?"

Regal shook his head. "No. It's alright. What is it?"

"There's a call waiting for you. He says it's urgent."

"Do you know who it is that's calling Presea?"

Presea shook her head. "He's not an employee here, but he says it's important and wants to speak with you over the phone."

"Okay, thank you Presea. I'll be right down."

"I would like to stay here for a moment Presi- I mean, Regal. I would like to talk with Alicia as well."

"Very well then, I'll head down to my office." Regal walked over to the elevator and headed down to his office, leaving Presea alone atop the Sky Terrace. He entered the large office, which was now refurnished with sofas and two fancy chairs facing the desk. He walked over to the desk and picked up the phone.

"President Bryant speaking." Regal greeted.

"Mr. Bryant, how are you sir?" The man asked.

"Fine, thank you. What is the reason of your call?"

"Well sir, the Toize Valley Mine was shut down three years prior correct?"

"Yes, that's correct." Regal answered.

"Well, I believe that the mine is operational." Before Regal could ask, the man continued. "I heard mechanical sounds in the mine earlier today and since it is run by the Lezrano Company, I thought I should call you and ask about the mine. Do you have any knowledge of this President Bryant?"

Regal was surprised, but hid it from his caller. "No. This was not known to me. I'll investigate the mine immediately."

"Wouldn't it be wiser to send one of your employees?" The man asked.

"No. The mine is my responsibility, therefore I shall investigate." He hung up the phone and opened up a compartment in the bookcase, where he kept a second set of clothes in case of an investigation. Regal liked to check on things himself instead of sending his representatives, so he was out of the office often. When that happened, Presea was in charge, and she ran it just as Regal did. Although she was an assistant, she could be called co-president of the Lezrano Company. Regal changed from his office clothes to more casual clothing. He wore a white shirt, blue pants, leather boots, leather gloves, and power greaves. Although he never faced any form of resistance, Regal still brought greaves along with him whenever he went to investigate.

He picked the phone again and dialed the number for Presea's office. He recounted the phone call for Presea and asked her to oversee the company until he came back, which she as always, accepted. After thanking her, he took the elevator to the first floor and took the elemental railway to the Altamira entrance. When he was out of the city, he pulled out his rhieard from the wing pack and set off for the Toize Valley Mine.


	2. Inside the Mine

Ack! I forgot the disclaimer in the first chapter!

So here we go, my first disclaimer.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Tales of Symphonia or its characters. They're properties of Namco.

**Disclaimer2**: The idea presented in the first chapter of 'Presea returning to her true age' was not my original idea. It was based off of the story Assistant by the author Luv2Game.

I apologize for taking up space with a forgotten disclaimer, the second chapter will be up shortly. Thank you.

**To Luv2Game: **Thank you for reviewing my fic. I'm glad you liked it and thank you for being the very first reviewer of my first story.

Sorry everyone!

Now here's the second chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia or any characters from Tales of Symphonia.

Replies to reviewers:

**Luv2Game**: You're most welcome. I really enjoyed reading that story, and I waswaiting for an update. Glad you liked my story, I'll do my best toputthis to your expectations.

**Colette Brunel**: Thank you for reviewing. Hope you'll also enjoy the chapters!

And without further ado: Here is Chapter 2! (Hey that rhymes!)

**Chapter 2 Inside the Mine**

Regal guided the machine gracefully through the cloudless sky. He tilted the steering mechanism downward and descended quickly from the sky. As it hovered above the ground the wings folded downward, covering the delicate motor with the wing tips. Regal stepped off and returned the rhieard to his wing pack and walked toward the mine. It had been three years since he ordered the mine to be condemned and closed to the public. The workers of Lezrano boarded up the entrance with boards of sacred wood from the forests near Ozette, preventing anyone from entering the mine. However, as the blue haired president approached the entrance, he noticed an alarming site.

The barrier was broken. Splinters and shattered boards littered the ground, leaving the dark mouth of the cave exposed. Regal cautiously entered the mine, curious of whom or what had the strength to split the strong wood blocking the entrance. The mine had not changed since it was condemned. The machines were still operational and the very foundation looked exactly the same the last time Regal entered the mine. He also noticed that there were no creatures in the mine. No bats, no basilisks, nothing. It was eerily silent.

As he approached the lift mechanism, something caught his attention. The crystal blue door that prevented access to the inner area of the mine was gone. Voices echoed from the location, resonating throughout the mine and into Regal's ear. Alarmed, he hurried toward the open door. How was it that the mine didn't collapse when the door was open? Not only that, why did it open? Only his voice print could open the door to the inner sanctum, any force employed on the door or attempted hacking would cause it to crash. He dismissed the question when he heard footsteps approach the entrance.

Acting quickly, he lunged toward a pile of rocks and hid behind it. The footsteps were steadily growing larger, indicating that the intruders were approaching the entrance. Their boots echoed against the marble floor in the restricted area until finally the sound of crunching gravel entered Regal's ears.

"Is it really that important to be standing guard?" He heard someone ask.

"You heard the boss, whatever he wants we do." Another man replied.

"Then why exactly is he asking us to stand guard outside? There is absolutely no point in this!"

"Well it's better than working in that Martel forsaken mine. I'd do anything to get out of that tunnel. Anyway, let's check outside. If that stupid kid called Meltokio, then our cover's blown."

"You're right. Should we close the door?"

"It's disarmed you idiot. It can't open or close now."

"Well excuse me."

The conversation ended and the two men walked toward the entrance. Regal watched the suspicious men carefully as he moved around the rock. The first thing he noticed was that their uniforms were completely black, from the leather shirt to the heavy boots. Grey gloves protected their wrists and adorned helmets similar to the ones desian foot soldiers wore. He waited until the men exited the cave then darted from his hiding place.

He put his back to the wall and peeked into the restricted area. Two guards walked around the area, each carrying a small sword latched their belt. He noticed that there were also two stationary guards at the back of the room, which was an elevator that took the workers deeper into the mountain. If there are that many guards up here, there must be more down below Regal assumed. For the time being, it would be wise not to attract attention.

Moving quietly, Regal entered the sanctum and onto the marble floor. The guards didn't notice him at the top of the small flight of stairs, and he quickly jumped off the right side. He assessed the situation from his new position. There was one guard standing around who appeared to be dozing off. He was between Regal's position and a large pile of scrap metal. The guard could easily be knocked out from where he was standing, so the blue haired president prepared to sprint and send a kick to his head from behind, but quickly changed his mind. Knocking out the guard in the middle of a room would incite too much attention, more than Regal wanted. He needed another tactic, something sneakier, more underhanded. An idea popped into his head.

Regal put his back against the crate and knocked against the hard metal. It made a hollow knocking sound and caught the attention of the lazy guard. Regal backed up further and hid himself behind another crate, waiting for the perfect moment. The guard was approaching his position. He was only steps away from Regal and a single box kept the intruder concealed. Finally, the guard turned and examined the crate, and before he could turn around, he felt a crushing blow to his back and head. Regal lunged out of his hiding spot and sent a strong side kick to the man's back and neck, causing him to fall unconscious. He picked up the unconscious guard and moved him further to the side of the stairs, where he will hopefully remained concealed. Regal darted from his hiding spot quickly sprinted to the scrap metal pile. There was only one more guard walking around the premises, and luckily, he was out of range of the two stationary guards at the elevator. Suddenly, a loud beep was heard. The sound echoed through the room, had Regal been caught? Grinding metal and a mechanical hum could be heard as the floor rumbled slightly. The humming quickly diminished, like a fleeting sound wave. Regal looked beyond the scrap pile to see the elevator door open.

"I'm heading downstairs. You want some coffee?" The first one asked.

"Sure. Might keep me up long enough to stay at my post." The second guard replied and he let out a loud yawn.

"Alright, wait here."

"Nah, I'm coming too. Gotta stretch my legs." His voice suddenly got louder. "Hey Brown! We're headin down for some coffee! You comin?"

"No thanks guys. I'll stay here." The third guard yelled back.

"Your loss."

The two guards entered the elevator and headed downward. Once again, the floor rumbled and the beep echoed through the room. He heard the hum grow louder then softer, indicating the elevator was at the next stop. He could see the one guard still patrolling the premises. Now was his chance.

The guard continued to check the left side of the room. He was beginning to think that he should've just joined his friends with the coffee, but his thoughts ended when he heard quick footsteps approaching him. He felt a strong muscular hand cover his mouth while a strong arm choked his neck.

"Stay quiet. You don't want your life to end like this do you?" Regal asked in his best intimidating voice.

"Who the hell are you! Augh!" Regal tightened his grip on the guard's neck. He knew he swore never to use his hands as 'tools of death', but he thought it was necessary.

"Be quiet. I'll ask the questions here. If I think you're lying I'll break your neck." He tightened slightly to get his point through.

"Ow. O-Okay…" The guard quivered.

"What's your name?"

"…Brown. Clark Brown."

"Okay Clark. First question, how'd you get in here?"

"I…I don't know. Augh!" He screamed as Regal tightened then released.

"How did you get in?" He asked again. "Forcing the door open would've caused this mine to collapse wouldn't it?"

"…The ninja placed some charges on the door. They disarmed the door and it opened. That's all I know."

"Who is this ninja?"

"Maku…I'm not sure."

"Who is he?"

"I don't know."  
Regal tightened his grip. "Who…IS HE?" He asked menacingly

"Aggh! His name is Makuto! He was the one that hired us! He's our leader!"

"Where can I find him?"

"He's down in the mine. I don't know where, but he's in the mine."

"Good. I need you to understand we never talked. You never saw me, you never heard me."

"…I understand."

"Good boy." He whispered to his ear. He could see the dark spots on the back of the shirt, indicating cold sweat dribbling down his neck and spine. His intimidation and interrogation worked.

"Please don't kill me!" The guard shouted.

Regal loosened his grip. "As I promised."

The guard was panting heavily. "Thank you…Thank you…Thank…" Before he could finish, Regal sent a powerful kick to the back of his head.


	3. Stealth Tactics

Alright! The next chapter! After about 6 hours of typing yesterday, I bring you the third chapter! Enjoy everyone!

Disclaimer: I do not own any Tales of Symphonia characters. Makuto is my own original character though.

Responses to reviewers:

Reviewing Dude: Glad you like it. Hope you enjoy this one.

Melchan: Thanks for the review! I'm sorry but I don't know a thing about drawing, so I can't get a Presea drawing. Sorry Melchan!

Luv2Game: Same here. I would be spilling everything even faster then that guard would. I'm trying to update as fast as I can, mostly for every week (every 7 days).

StrawberryEggs: Thanks! I think I'm an okay writer, I still think I'm rather amateur. About Presea, just imagine her with her regular voice with a more mature and somewhat brighter tone .

Colette Brunel: Thank you for reviewing! Enjoy this chapter!

And now, without further interuptions, here is Chapter 3!

**Chapter 3: Stealth Tactics**

The chain linked door opened and Regal stepped into the elevator. He adjusted his belt to secure the small sword he had taken. He had no intention of killing anyone with the blade, but it might be useful later. The doors closed and emitted a loud beep, indicating the elevator was heading down. It hummed loudly as it descended down the spacious shaft. The lift slowed to a stop at the bottom and reopened its doors. Regal stepped off the marble floor and onto the rocky ground. He opened the door at the end of the small hall and entered the mine.

Sounds of machinery poured out the door. It was so loud you could barely hear your own voice. Regal winced at the sudden assault on his eardrum and quickly closed the door. He looked through the window into the room after recovering from the deafening noise. Six guards patrolled the room, all with the same uniform and carrying small broadswords. Several large columns were situated throughout the cave, preventing the mine from collapsing and supporting the rocky roof. Regal also noted that the conveyor belts in the room were operational, stretching into three different tunnels and pulling up large rocks in the "steps" into a strange device. It was silver colored and shaped like a cube, and when the rocks disappeared into the apparatus, grinded stones came out of one chute while the prized exspheres appeared from the adjacent chute. Regal's mind struck a chord. It was the broken exsphere filter, the one he had to discard because of difficulties. How did they fix it? He shook his head. That wasn't important right now; he needed to get to the control room.

He opened the door and dashed into the room, ignoring the loud hum of machines and grinding gears. He dove behind a support column and as he straightened his back against the pillar, he noticed an uncanny advantage. He couldn't hear his breathing. Curious, he stomped on the ground and barely heard the echo. Regal's eyes lit up. The sound from the machines droned out all the others, including his footsteps. This meant that he could run across the room and no one would hear him, making him undetectable to the ear. He snapped out of his thoughts when he saw a dark outline grow beside him. A guard was approaching his position. Had he been spotted? He kept his back to the column and brought his legs closer, tightening himself to a ball. His breath drew in a sharp inhale, the suspense present in his mind. He kept still for what seemed like an eternity, and when the guard never came behind the column, he slowly turned his head. The guard's back was facing him; Regal wasn't spotted!

Seeing opportunity at hand, he crept out from his hiding place and slowly approached the man. The guard felt a strong strike against his legs and before he knew it, he was lying on his stomach. Before the dumbfound man could react, Regal lightly kicked the man's head, rendering him unconscious. He quickly dragged the body out of the open area and out of sight. Once he was done, Regal peeked out from the pillar to see if the coast was clear. He warily checked his surroundings. Since the machines were so loud in the room, he couldn't hear footsteps either, so he had to rely on his sight to avoid detection.

He saw the coast was clear, and he darted out from behind the pillar to a large rock. He was closer to the conveyor belt; however, two other guards were patrolling behind it. Assuming, that their voices can't be heard, Regal decided to take his chances. He watched the rocks carefully, waiting to see the opening he needed to jump past the moving stones. He counted in his head while keeping an eye on the two guards and the passing stones. He needed them to be close enough to be caught in his attack and be able to jump across the stone barriers at the same time. Finally, he saw his opening. He sprinted quickly toward the belt as he counted in his head. 1…2…3! He let out a yell as he jumped over the belt and past the rock barriers. He executed a roll on the ground and stood before the dumbfounded guards. He didn't waste any time. Before they could react, Regal kicked them down and knocked them out. A large reinforced door stood before him. It led to the control room. Once he was inside, he could shut off the power and close the mine. Well, if he gets inside. Just as he was about to run toward the door, he noticed something in the guard's pocket. He got into a crouch and pulled the item out. It was a key card. The Lezrano insignia was present on the small plastic rectangle and a black strip was visible on the side. He recalled why the card was here. It was the only way to access the control room.

He took the key card and moved to the door. It no longer mattered whether the guards seen him, he was well out of sight. He slid the card through the slot and the door opened, revealing another lift. It moved horizontally across the chasm as a soft mechanical hum resonated off the walls. It stopped at the opposite side where a stone stairway resided. Regal headed down the stairs while paying little attention to his speed or his noise level. The control room was just at the end of the stairs. Once he shuts down the mine, he could let Lezrano security take care of the intruders and do as they wished. He increased his speed as he neared the end of the stairs, but just as he was about to make the next turn, he stopped. Voices echoed from the bottom, and he immediately stood against the wall. He could barely make out anything, but it sounded like at least three people were there. The whir of a door resonated through the cavern, and the voices stopped. The men had entered the control room.

Regal walked cautiously down the remaining steps as he hoped he wasn't heard. He hit the base of the stairs and to his relief, no one stood on guard duty. He pulled out the broadsword and moved toward the door. There was no other way to sneak inside; the door was the only option, but if he walked in through the door, he'd get attacked immediately. The control room was small and circular in shape so it doesn't leave a lot of maneuvering room, and fighting three on one are not good odds. He thought for a moment and an idea came to him.

He allowed the door to open and quickly stepped to the side. He kept himself out of the door's viewing area until it fully opened. He took a peek to see if anyone was waiting, but the only thing he saw besides the large control panel was a man in front of it with his back turned. He wore an orange suit that covered his entire body. The only thing that wasn't orange was his black gloves and flat soled shoes. Seeing opportunity at hand, Regal quietly sneaked in and hid behind a large pyramid of rocks. He peeked out from behind the pyramid and observed the man carefully. The man still had his back turned and it looked like he was talking to himself. Regal decided to catch him by surprise and moved slowly toward him, his sword still drawn. He heard the man talking but it sounded like he was talking to someone else. He noticed a faint blue light seeping out from the edges of the man's body. It was coming from the projector. As he approached the man quietly, he listened to the conversation.

"Yes, yes. The exspheres are being mined as we speak."

"Good. How long until you can close the mine?"

"Three hours. Not long."

"Excellent. Remember, I want all traces of our activity destroyed. No evidence."

"Yes sir. How is everything else?"

"Going as planned. They should be at Lezrano within half an hour. Remember, I expect those exspheres in front of me within two hours. No exceptions."

"Yes…Lord Vharley." The man said and shut off the projector.

Regal stopped. Did he hear that correctly? 'Lord Vharley'. Is Vharley…alive? He shook the thought out and resumed his tactics. If he let his mind wander at this moment, then he could end up in trouble. He was closing the gap between them and soon stood up straight. He brought his sword up and placed it before the man's neck.

"Don't...move." He said quietly. The man stood still and put his hands in the air. "Turn around slowly and keep your hands in the air." The orange man complied, slowly turning but stopped at 90 degrees. He chuckled loudly, a mocking chuckle.

"You wouldn't kill me with that sword, would you?" He asked knowingly. "Oh hold on, you can't."

Regal was shocked inwardly but kept his stern face, "How do you know I wouldn't. I can kill you whenever I want to."

"Really?" The man asked with an edge. "That's not how I heard it." He quickly turned and kicked the sword out of Regal's hand. Regal stepped back and put his hands in a fighting position, preparing himself for any unprecedented attacks. He was surprised to see the man's face was fully covered by his orange mask with only his light blue eyes exposed.

"Who are you?" Regal demanded.

"I am Makuto, Leader of the mercenaries." He answered. "And who might you be?" He asked knowingly. "Ah, you must be Regal Bryant, the president of Lezrano Company. It was foolish of you to come here to investigate; you should have left that to your representatives. Foolish old man."

Regal was surprised. It was a set up! He was brought here on purpose. However, that wasn't his biggest surprise, "How do you know me?"

"Well I'm afraid that's none of your business old man. That is certainly something you don't need to know."

Regal's anger grew. He couldn't believe the behavior of this man. It sounds as if he's some punk kid from Meltokio! Struggling to maintain his cool demeanor, he stepped back cautiously. "What do you hope to accomplish by digging exspheres? They're dangerous objects!"

"My leader asked for them. He is offering me a large sum of gald if I send him the exspheres in this mine."

"Who is your leader! And why does he want them!" He demanded.

"That is not your concern. You have wasted enough of my time with your questioning, and it is time you are dealt with accordingly." He snapped his fingers. Out of nowhere, two men carrying large swords and shields appeared behind him. They walked up and stood beside him. "Kill the old man. I want to see him suffer."

With a roar the swordsman charged. Regal advanced forward as well, ready to battle his armored opponents. The first one swung his sword vertically, hoping to slice the intruder in half. Regal stepped to the side and dodged the blade, then followed with a strong kick to the swordsman's chest and finished with a spin kick, knocking him back. The second moved past his dazed partner and swung his blade horizontally at about his abdomen, hoping to slice the blue haired fighter in half. Regal brought his head down and barely dodged the blade, the glint of silver barely missing his ear. He jumped into the air and kicked him twice in midair then followed with a spin kick, knocking him back. The first one rushed toward him and sliced the air vertically then horizontally. Regal dodged the first slash then jumped over the second one. He moved in and executed a crescent moon, kicking him in the chin. While in midair, he forced himself downward in an eagle dive, successfully impacting him on the head with his powerful feet. He moved forward and was now standing behind the stunned man. The eagle dive caused some damage to his thinking, rendering him confused and dazed for a few valuable seconds. Regal took the opportunity to hit him three times, a round house, a spin kick, and a strong crescent moon. The swordsman keeled over and fell forward, falling into the darkness.

Regal now focused his attention on the last swordsman. He charged toward him at a fast speed and with all his might, he lunged off the ground and sent his right foot into the air. The swordsman quickly pulled his shield up but it was no use. The force from Regal's attack caused the shield to dent and the man to step back unintentionally. The man prepared to swipe at him with his sword but he was too slow. A sharp blow fell below his chin and the next thing he knew he was laying on the ground, the sword just out of his reach. Regal stopped him with a strong stomp to his chest and face, subduing him.

Makuto growled. "Incompetent fools! How could you lose to that old man!" He stepped forward as Regal turned and prepared his fighting stance. "Fine. I'll take care of you myself." He pulled out a pair of claws and attached them to his wrists, and with a frightening yell, he charged.

* * *

Well that's the end of that chapter. Will Regal win against this mysterious intruder? And who is exactly Makuto? But the greatest question of all, is Vharley really alive?

Please Read and Review! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	4. Battle and Escape

Well evyerone, here's chapter 4! This actually turned out to be ahead of schedule, I didn't think I would be able to finish this before Friday. Well anyway, enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia. However, I own Makuto.**

**Replies to reviewers:**

**Luv2Game:** Heh heh. I'm sorry for Makuto's comments on the previous chapter, but don't worry. Regal proves he's not the "old man" Makuto thinks he is.I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait for a little while before the truth is revealed. About three chapters I guess. I can't wait to see the new Assistant. Please let me know when it's ready! And please keep me updated!

**Kratos addict:**As long as you liked my previous three chapters, I'm okay with that. I'm so sorry for not reviewing your story. I was so busy the past three days with a whole bunch of stuff that just came up. I apologize for not reviewing immediately.

**StrawberryEggs: **Well you're going to have to wait a little longer StrawberryEggs. Sorry but I'm not planning that part until later on. Thank you for your encouragement though. You're gonna have to wait about two chapters though. I'm sorry for making you wait.

**SheenaFujibayashi: **Thank you Sheena. The story updates about every week or so, but if I plan to make another story, the updating will be a little slow, but I'll do my best. For the time being, look forward to an update every week on the weekends.

**Linkite: **Well here it is! Enjoy Linkite and thank you for reviewing!

**Lemmy(Chat-Roomer): **Thank you for reviewing here too Lemmy. I appreciate it. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Colette the Klutz: **Thank you and I don't write that well. I still make grammar errors and my word choice is repetitive. I have yet to master the art of grammar.

**Colette Brunel: **I'm glad you enjoyed it. I thought that previous chapter was a little boring with the stealth going on...

**Here goes! Chapter 4!**

**Chapter 4: Battle and Escape**

With the claws across his chest, Makuto charged toward his opponent. He dug his feet into the rocky ground and spread his arms, sending his claws in an arc-like movement. Regal jumped back just in time, but in the blink of an eye Makuto moved forward and swiped at him. Regal blocked both attacks with his forearms and while they rested against Makuto's, he crouched low and executed a sweep. Before his feet could come in contact with the sweep, Makuto placed his hand on Regal's head and pushed downward. He swiftly stepped on Regal's back and jumped to the other side, avoiding the sweep. He spun 180 degrees while he was in the air, and when he was back on his feet, he faced Regal's backside. Makuto saw his opening and brought his arm back, ready to thrust. However, before he could attack, Regal back kicked him in the face. He retaliated with two more kicks followed by a spin kick, causing his opponent to stagger back.

Regal moved in and prepared for a jump kick, but before he was in the air, Makuto caught his foot and stopped his momentum. He pushed his leg back, causing Regal to stumble backwards and lose balance. He lunged forward toward his stumbling opponent and prepared to slash away at his body. At that moment, Regal had regained his balance and quickly blocked the first attack. However, Makuto didn't stop. He let loose a fury of attacks that left his arms flailing at Regal like a furious wolverine. Regal couldn't do anything but put his arms in a defensive position and block the raining claws. Makuto's arms were moving so fast he could barely see them, and at the speed he was moving, Regal couldn't find any opportunity for a counter attack. He was helpless to the torrent of attacks. Then, without warning, he felt a strong force hit his stomach. Regal gripped his stomach in pain, and Makuto saw the moment he was waiting for. He positioned his legs together and spread his arms.

"Tornado strike!" He advanced forward as he spun with his arms out. Before Regal could recover, sharp, slicing pain hit Regal's body. The claws tore away at his skin and clothing as they spun past him at a frightening speed. When the spinning subsided, Regal was still fazed, and Makuto prepared another attack.

"Rising bear!" He hit Regal with a powerful uppercut while shooting into the air. As he rose into the air, he spun like a top, hitting Regal in an upward drill-like motion. The force sent Regal flying into the air with Makuto as he was hit multiple times by the uppercut. When the spinning subsided, Makuto faced Regal and pushed him into a large rock formation. With a loud groan, he rubbed his aching head and looked up to face Makuto. He eyed him with a smug look. Seeing Regal propped against the rock formation meant he was weakening. And it was time to finish him off.

He sprinted toward his opponent with his left claw up front while his right claw was trailing. He was going to stab him. Regal immediately snapped to his senses, and when the claw was in range, he grabbed Makuto's wrist with his feet. He twisted his feet 90 degrees quickly and forced Makuto's hand. With the grip maintained, he slid them off his wrist as well as the steel claw. The claw dropped to the ground, and Regal forced Makuto back with a powerful thrust kick. He pushed himself off the rocks and back onto the ground. As he assumed his fighting stance, he felt a strange pressure on his right foot. He looked down and was surprised at what he saw. His right boot had three sharp treads sticking out from the toe edge, resembling a claw. The weapon had slipped onto Regal's foot. Makuto was alarmed at the sight. He didn't expect his opponent to be able to use a weapon, let alone, his weapon. What were the chances of his claw being able to fit his foot like a shoe? He shook off the thought and resumed position. Even without the claw, he can still battle with his hands.

This time Regal took the offensive. He charged in and started off with two roundhouse kicks. Makuto easily blocked both attacks but he was caught off guard. Once Regal's left foot touched the ground, he executed a powerful spin kick with his claw leg and slashed Makuto's face. Torn cloth was visible on the face mask, and as he recoiled in pain, Regal jumped into the air and roundhouse kicked him twice in the air. Makuto recovered quickly from the attack and swung his claw arm. Regal dodged the attack and the punch that followed, then, as the claw came again horizontally, he blocked it with his left arm. In the blink of an eye, he spin kicked the claw arm, sending the claw off the wrist and to the far edge of the room. Makuto's gripped his left arm in pain as Regal followed with a rising kick, slashing his chin and up his face. He fell onto his back with a thud but quickly pushed back onto his feet.

Without any claws, he let lose his fury and sent a barrage of punches. Regal easily dodged all the punches as, side-stepping and ducking underneath the unending storm. He saw one more coming, and with precision, he blocked the attack. He kicked Makuto's side twice with the same leg then kicked his opposite side with the other leg. Makuto recoiled in exhaustion and pain. Then with a final slash kick to his side, he staggered back and fell on his back.

Regal breathed heavily as he struggled to hold his position. He hadn't fought that hard in a long time, let alone in three years. There was very little resistance wherever he went, so his fighting skills were merely a necessity. He bent his back slightly and shifted his feet all while he struggled to keep his heavy arms in fighting position. Makuto groaned from the severe pain he was feeling. He felt like he was hit by a dragon many times and his body ached everywhere. He slowly got back on his feet and move to a sitting position, but when he started to straighten his back he collapsed onto one knee in exhaustion.

"How…How could I… lose to you?" He asked himself. He was disappointed and shocked at what happened. He had lost, his arrogance backfiring on his pride like a gun. However, that wasn't the worst of his problems. His pain was increasing and soon his whole body ached. Parts of his body were going numb and his breathing was steadily growing heavier. "Ha ha…It doesn't matter…I have fulfilled…my duty." He struggled over to the control panel, hobbling slowly as he gripped his left arm. Regal held a quizzical look as he watched the orange ninja move toward the control panel. What was he up to? Regal heard someone behind him and turned. A man stood at the threshold of the door and wore a similar ninja suit. It was similar to Makuto's uniform and covered his entire body in blood red.

Regal was shocked. "Kuchinawa! What are you doing here!"

"Master Kuchinawa!" Makuto shouted. "Take this! I have accomplished the task!" He threw a glowing red stone past Regal toward. The stone whizzed by Regal's eyes as he turned to face the dying Makuto, and in the milliseconds it past his eyes, he identified it immediately. It was an exsphere. Kuchinawa snatched it from the air and secured the exsphere in his pouch. With a quick flick of the wrist, a small blast was heard, black smoke engulfed Kuchinawa and when it cleared, he was gone.

"Heh heh heh…I may have lost the battle… but I died to a worthy opponent." Makuto stuttered. "However…I'm not dying alone…I'll take you to Hell with me!" He stumbled onto the panel and input several commands. The door behind Regal suddenly slammed shut, and the alarm klaxon blared through the room.

"System lockdown activated." A monotonous voice stated. Makuto felt his life slipping into the darkness, and with his last bit of strength, he slammed a large red button with his fist. The entire room flashed red, and the blaring klaxon grew louder. "Self-destruct system activated. Self-destruct time: 10 minutes. All personnel evacuate immediately."

Makuto looked back at the astonished Regal. With a last breath, he muttered five words, "I'll see you…in Hell." And with those words, he collapsed onto the panel and fell into the darkness. Regal wasted no time and ran to the locked door. He slipped his fingers into the edge and attempted to push it open, but they wouldn't budge. He stepped back and kicked the door with his feet, but his efforts were futile. Not even a dent was visible on the door. Regal stopped after the fourth kick and took a moment to catch his breath. He was getting exhausted, but he had to hurry. He was not going to die in this forbidden mine.

He ran to the edge of the control panel and faced the door. He kneeled on one knee and set his hands in front. Within seconds, a large blue, energy beam slammed into the door, blasting it out of the mechanical slide and shattering the lock. Regal ceased the attack and ran out of the room.

"Warning, eight minutes to self-destruction."

He climbed up the stairs and to the horizontal lift. It was no longer functioning, so he grabbed onto the metal guide above him, pulled his knees up, wrapped his legs around the cylindrical guide, and crawled across. He avoided looking down the bottomless pit as he continued across the gap. Finally, he was at the other side; however the large metal door in front was locked as well, and it looked like it wouldn't open by traditional means. Regal noticed an air vent above the door and with a strong flip kick, he busted it open. He climbed into the vent and pushed out the opposite barrier. With a loud thud, he crashed onto the rocky ground. After a quick recovery and shaking off the fall, he ran past the conveyor belts and to the door at the opposite end.

"Five minutes to self-destruction."

He opened the door and cut through the chain link fence. The elevator was no longer working, and it was a long way up to the surface. It seemed to be hopeless, but Regal noticed the chains. The chains of the elevator, that guided the lift up and down were still intact. Without a second thought, he grabbed onto the chain and climbed up the thick chained rope. When he saw the next fence, he grabbed onto the ledge and carefully climbed onto it. He slowly walked toward the exit out of the shaft as he kept his back to the wall, forcing himself not to look down. When the door was next to him, he broke the chained fence with his feet and stepped onto the marble floor.

"Forty seconds to self-destruction."

Regal ran passed the door to the forbidden room.

"Twenty seconds to self-destruction."

Regal jumped the chasm to the other side.

"Ten seconds to self-destruction."

Regal rushed toward the exit.

"9…8…7…6"

Regal passed the broken security system.

"5…4…"

He saw daylight, almost there!

"3…2…"

He saw the exit!

"1."

He lunged out and landed head first into the soft welcoming grass. The ground trembled and shook as loud explosions resonated within the cave. Unbearable heat blasted out of the cave's mouth and flew waned above Regal's back. Crumbling rocks shook loose as the ground trembled. They fell onto the soft ground and piled up on the entrance. When the trembling and exploding stopped, Regal turned and saw the mouth of the cave. The black hole leading into the mine was blocked by numerous rocks of different sizes. The mine was no longer accessible. Regal sighed in relief. This was the first time since the journey ended that he had barely escaped with his life. The adrenaline rush was thrilling, but with the loss of the chemical, he collapsed onto one knee.

"Regal!" A voice shouted from the sky. He looked up and saw a red rhieard flying through the sky. The pilot was a woman with pink hair tied up in a single ponytail. She wore the same uniform, light black blouse and black skirt. However, her heels were replaced by traveling boots that stopped a little before her knee. It was Presea.

She hovered above Regal and set the rhieard down. She jumped off the machine and faced him. "What happened? I heard an explosion and saw smoke rising from the mine. Is everything alright?"

Regal nodded. "Yes Presea. Everything's fine." Presea smiled a little but noticed the large gash on Regal's arm as well as the scratch marks all over his chest and midsection.

"Regal, you're hurt." She lifted a finger toward the large gash on his bicep. He pulled his arm back before she could touch it.

"It's alright Presea. It's not bleeding."

"Are you sure you're okay?" She asked with doubt.

Regal nodded and gave her a reassuring smile. "Yes Presea. I'll be fine." Presea stayed silent as she thought about what had happened at the mine. The shockwave from the explosion caused a large tremor through the air and she felt the change in pressure, as well as the sound coming from the mine. A question suddenly popped into Regal's mind.

"Presea, why are you here? I thought I asked you to oversee the company."

Presea snapped out of her thoughts. She suddenly remembered why she was looking for him. She faced the ground as she recalled what had occurred at earlier. "Regal…We have a problem."

Regal could tell from her tone that something was very wrong, but he kept his cool demeanor. "What happened?" He asked calmly.

"The company…It's been taken over." She stated.

* * *

Hmm. Out of the frying pan and into the fire...What has Regal gotten himself into? And will the two survive their next trial? 

Wll what do you think? Please review! A little glimpse at the next chapter. Regal and Presea rescue the people of Altamira, and Presea shows off a new weapon.

Well, please review!


	5. Infiltrating Altimira

Wow! I am so sorry for the delay! After Summer School finally ended, I've gotten a little lazy. I'm still waiting for my grade (PLEASE A B, AND NOT A "B") and I've FINALLY bought a copy of Tales of Symphonia! Yea! So anyway, here's Chapter 5. Not a lot of action, but I promise it'll get better.

* * *

Replies to Reviewers: 

**To All: **I'm sorry for the delay! Also, I'm planning to end this sooner than I thought! After maybe about 3 or 4 more chapters! However, I'll put up a little proposal...

**Linkite: **Thanks for the compliments! I really think I could improve though.

**Luv2Game: **Thanks a lot for the update! There's not going to be a lot of detail for the upcoming battles, but I think it'll be enough (refering to the "fight in a skirt" thing).

**Colette the Klutz: **Continuing now. And same thing to what I said to Linkite. However, if only I had the same skill for math (want to get better even though I'm doing well) and Science (Biology and Computer Scienceare nightmares!)

**StrawberryEggs: **I'm sorry for spoiling a little of what's to come, but I've still kept you in the dark. Enjoy this chapter! I agree with what you say too. I'd rather find the surprise later when it all makes sense.

**Lemmy: **Thanks for the suggestion. I'll take that suggestion to heart when I revise and edit the chapters (every some chapters).

* * *

Well...ENJOY CHAPTER 5 EVERYONE! 

**Disclaimer: **Do not own Tales of Symphonia, however the three stupid guards are mine.

* * *

**Chapter 5: Infiltrating Altimira**

Two rhieards flew through the cloudless sky. The two had left Toize Valley Mine and were returning to Altamira. Presea had recounted the events that took place while he was gone. After Presea finished, Regal was silent. His hair gently waved with the wind while Presea's ponytail whipped around the back of her head. The two engines hummed quietly as Presea waited for Regal's response.

"So, Lezrano's under their control?" He asked.

Presea nodded her head. "Yes. They took control of Lezrano as soon as they entered. We had no time to react. The attack was too swift."

"Are there any casualties?"

She shook her head. "I don't think so. I saw the employees get taken to the basement, and there was no sign of any fatalities in the building."

Regal thought for a moment. So the employees are only hostages. They're probably not here for money, so what would they want? "Presea, what about the rest of Altamira, does anyone know about this incident?"

"They've all been taken too. I think they're all being held in the hotel."

"So all of Altamira has been taken over," Regal concluded.

Presea nodded her head. Regal decided not to ask how she had escaped; it was good enough that she did escape from Altamira. If she hadn't, then he would never have known this, and he'd be caught off-guard once he entered the city.

"I stopped by to pick up some items from Ozette before I came here. Sorry for the delay." Presea said.

"It's alright," Regal replied. "I'm glad you told me about this." The rhieards flew in silence except for the humming motor. Presea saw Regal with a calm outlook but she knew he was pondering. Being his assistant for three years had helped her recognize Regal's different facial expressions. Though he did show emotions, his thinking was the hardest to determine when it came to facial expressions. He must be thinking about what action to take she thought. Finally, after a minute of riding through the sky, Presea broke the silence.

"What do you want to do?"

Regal remained silent for a moment then gave his answer. "Well, the Tethe'alla police aren't going to respond fast enough, and by the situation, it looks like the hostages are in grave danger. So, we'll just have to do it ourselves."

Presea smiled. "I knew you were going to say that." She knew Regal disliked violence and death, but when it came to these kinds of situations, he'd rather do it then let someone else do the job. Just the same way as he would go out of the company to investigate instead of send a representative. I wouldn't have it any other way, she thought to herself. And with that, the two rhieards disappeared into the setting sky.

He watched the shore from the small boat. Night had fallen, and the only thing that illuminated the dark sky was the lights on the nearby island. He had been drifting for almost an hour on the black water and fatigue was starting to affect him. His eyes drooped slightly and he let out a yawn. He shook his head, he needed to focus. He looked closely at the island and noticed that the entire shoreline was dark. The closest light source present was the large building, and it appeared to be far away from the shore, leaving it as black as the midnight sky. It was the perfect location for a stealth strike. With very little light on the shore, the assault will be concealed under the shroud of darkness.

He was nearing the shoreline. The waves were beginning to change, and his boat began to drift toward the beach. He lit the nearby lantern at the end of the boat and propped it onto the end of a large pole. The lantern light shined across the glass-like water, illuminating part of the sky and revealing the secrets underneath the calm black surface. He barely made out a capsized ship with a rope tied to one end about 5 feet ahead of him. Although he couldn't tell, he knew that the boat was moving across the bottom. It was headed toward the same destination as he was, but now it was time for him to go alone. He pulled out a small bag of stones and threw it into the water. As it sunk into the abyss, he took a small knife and cut the rope attached to the craft's bow. The boat was now drifting freely, and the stones landed with a "thud" on the submerged boat. It was time to head in. He set two oars into the water and rowed toward the dark beach.

The city of Altamira was quiet. The streets were bare and the beach was closed. It was barren and silent, like a graveyard. There was no sign of normal activity. No beachcombers, no partiers, no tourists, no one. Several men patrolled the streets, equipped standard combat armor and sharp swords. The entire city was lit up, leaving all except for the shoreline showered under bright light. The men stayed underneath the shield of light, for underneath it they could see all. One guard walked across the terrace that overlooked the beach. Same routine as usual, keep an eye out for anything suspicious and always call for backup. But when was the last time he saw anything "suspicious"? He sighed. His boss is a pain in the ass anyway. As he contemplated what he could be doing, he saw something in the horizon. It was a light and it seemed to be out on the waves. Why is there a boat just drifting on the water? Did some idiot forget to tie down the boat before they took over? He headed for the stairs down to the beach, but stopped. If his boss caught him going out alone, he'd be in trouble, or worse.

"I need backup for the beach area!" He yelled out to his comrades.

"For what?" One asked.

"There's a stranded boat out in the water! Need to pull it into shore!" He answered.

"A stranded boat! You're calling us over for some damn boat!" Another yelled.

"Just get your asses over here! You think I like this too!"

"Fine! Fine! We'll come and help you get your damn boat out of the water! Goddess Martel!" The two grumbled as they walked toward their friend. Everyone hated the rule their leader made. This "buddy system" where they had to go in at least groups of three was a really lame idea. They had excellent fighting skills and could handle any enemy easily, even a dragon. Plus, what's the point of going around with "buddies" if there was no one even here! The two grumbled as they followed their partner to the beach. The entire beach was dark, but they didn't care, it was the place they went for a smoke. Of course the reason why they didn't bother lighting up the beach was so "he" wouldn't see them slacking off. One of the guards chuckled at the thought. He is being way too paranoid, it's not like Lloyd Irving is going to suddenly swim to shore and take out all of them.

As the three walked across the beach, one of them suddenly tripped. The edge of a capsized boat caught beneath his foot, sending it him down to the sand.

"Look's like another sailor forgot to tie down his stupid boat." The guard said as he got back up. "Where the hell did this come from anyway?"

"Who cares? Let's just get the boat to shore and get this over with." He walked further down the beach, but stopped when he realized the other two weren't following him.

One guard pointed to the boat with a lamp, which was now beached on the sands. "The boat is over here you dumbass."

"How'd that…"

"Great. Looks like we came here for a boat that can drift itself to shore. Ooh, how nice." The first guard said sarcastically "This was such a waste of time."

"Hold on, I think I see something." He walked over to the boat and looked inside. There was a green blanket covering up what looked like a body, and two oars lay on both sides of it. Curious, he pulled up the green sheet and saw the face of the man inside. He had blue hair spiked up in the front while the rest was put down. "Hey guys! Check it out! We got a body!"

The other two rushed in and joined their comrade. They pulled the blanket off the man's body and saw his figure. Slash marks and red stains on his white shirt and blue pants, signifying he had been in a fight earlier. However, unlike his body, his face appeared to be unscathed. There was no mark visible on his face. All it showed was his eyes closed, as if he was sleeping.

"You think we should report this to the boss?" One guard asked.

"Nah. What's he going to do about a dead body?" Another asked. "Let's just leave it here. We can take care of it when the boss is done."

The third one looked closely at the man inside. He looked awfully familiar to him. Had he seen his face before somewhere? "Hey, doesn't this guy look familiar?"

"I don't give a damn about some dead person. Let's just get back to our post. This was seriously a waste of my time."

"I'm with you man. By now all I want is a drink and a nice bed." The two walked back down the beach while the third one inspected the body. He was sure he had seen him before. Suddenly, his eyes opened.

"Holy-!" Before he could finish, Regal curled his back and kicked the man's face. He pushed off his arms and onto his feet then jumped out of the empty boat. The other two guards heard the racket and rushed to their friend's aid. However, as they passed the capsized boat, it suddenly flipped over. Startled, the two guards jumped back and whipped their swords out. On the place where the boat was lying was a young woman. She had shoulder length pink hair tied in a wet ponytail and wore a light black blouse and black skirt. She had a huge axe in both her hands and she looked like she could kill you with a glance. She was soaked with seawater. Her ponytail was now wet and dripping with seawater. Walking all the way to Altamira while carrying a boat and dragging one on the surface was certainly a hard ordeal, but she made it.

"What the hell!" One guard shouted but was cut off when Regal came and kicked him hard in the chest. He followed with a sweep and knocked the guard down onto the sand. Presea took her axe and swung it toward the last guard. He was caught off guard by Regal's sudden attack on his partner and had not sense the danger of the large axe. It swung and hit him in the side, catching his armor and causing him to be swung like a rag doll. After about two orbits around Presea, the guard flew off the axe and hit the wall of the overlook, knocking him unconscious. Regal stood up and brushed off the sand.

"How was the walk?" He asked. Even though it was a short distance from Altamira, he knew that the walk was arduous for her. Plus, she couldn't see what was underneath the surface of the water, meaning that there were concealed dangers underneath the calm surface.

Amazingly, Presea showed no sign of fatigue. It looked like her axe wielding had paid off in the long run. "It was fine. A little rough, but it was fine. " She replied.

Regal sighed with relief. He felt guilty for having Presea walk across the bottom of the shore all the way to Altamira, even though she volunteered and assured him that she'll be okay. "Okay. Let's hide them underneath that boat. We can take care of these guys later." The two took the boat and flipped it over onto the unconscious men, concealing them underneath the boat. Regal then signaled toward the wall. He ran to the overlook and scaled the wall. Presea followed suit and scaled the wall onto the street. She didn't see Regal at first, but then noticed him hiding behind a bush. She quickly dived behind it and sat on one knee. While concealing himself from the bright light, Regal looked beyond the glass doors and into the hotel lobby. He could barely make out two men walking around the premises, checking every corner of the building as they circled the counter. An idea came to him.

"Presea," She turned to face Regal "You go around from the left side of the building to the back. I'll go around from the right and meet you there."

Presea nodded in understanding and darted off for the left side. Then, after a last check of his surroundings, Regal jumped out of the bush and sprinted to his right.

* * *

Review Please! I'd like to hear more about your opinions and thoughts of this chapter!

As a final note, the updating may now be at a lower frequency than before. The reason being, that I'm plotting another story. However, unlike the previous ones, it's a Megaman one(well attempting to). As my name suggests, I'm also a fan of Megaman (M.Hunter Maverick Hunter) so I'll be trying to come up with one too.

That doesn't mean that I'll stop this story though! Until then everyone!


	6. Rescuing Hostages

Wow. Looking back at the game and stuff right now, I'm amazed that almost everything is accurate. Up to this point, I hadn't owned the game, and now that I've checked the backgrounds and areas, I realized that the images were VERY different. (Like the fact that there was no bush in Altamira.) Also, my visualization of the Hotel Lezrano was different as well.

For now, this will follow with what the game's scene looks like so far. So the hotel looks almost like the one found in the game. I checked

* * *

**Replies to Reviewers**

**Luv2Game: **Well, prepare to be amazed by Presea's new weapon! Yet, it's a little unoriginal...

**StrawberryEggs: **Yeah. It's a little hard to imagine sometimes after hearing their voices on the game. Anyway, it can be any voice, young or old. Anyway, the thing going on at Altamira will be explained in the next chapter, no worries. And thank you for the compliments. I thought I bored the reader with the action scenes actually...

**Colette the Klutz: **Thank you. And about the relationship...There might be a possibility. I'm new to the romantic genre (as you can tell from my other fic), so it may be hard to convey romance. So I'll try it and end up failing horribly or not attempt it at all. So basically, who knows?

**Lemmy (Chat-Roomer): **Thank you for reviewing. I'm glad to hear that my previous chapter didn't stand out negatively. Heh heh. Hope I got good luck with this one. Enjoy!

* * *

And now, enjoy Chapter 6 everyone! As stated before, I'm planning to have about 2 more chapters before I end this saga. However...There will be a proposal. I'm not giving details yet, wait until it ends. 

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything here that relates to Tales of Symphonia.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Rescuing Hostages**

The two guards walked across the bridges connecting the counter to the door and elevator. They had walked all over the lobby for the last two hours, and to be frank, it was redundant, repetitive, and overall, boring. There was absolutely no sign of a disturbance. No intruder present anywhere in the building. So why were they walking across the lobby floor anyway? One was asking himself these questions as he continually walked across, yawning every so often. It was getting late, and he wanted to sleep instead of walk across the floor so often.

He suddenly felt his legs tighten and was forced to sit down on the bridge and spread his legs. He wasn't going to be able to move for a few minutes. As he waited for the pain to disappear, he heard a splash below him. He leaned over the edge and looked down into the water. He couldn't see clearly underneath the blue surface of the water, however, he saw something swim past him. He wasn't sure what it was, but he was pretty sure he saw something flow against the water. It was blue in color, but much lighter than the water below him. Suddenly, he felt something grab his legs and before he could react, he was pulled underwater. His partner heard the following splash and ran toward the source of the sound. As he set foot onto the adjacent bridge, a sudden pain hit his back, causing him to keel over and fall off the bridge into the dark water. A small hatchet fell out of his back as he sank into the depths, and a strand of pink hair swam past the hatchet.

Regal climbed out of the water and onto the bridge. He was soaked. Once he and Presea were on opposite sides of the hotel, they dove into the sea and swam into the hotel. There was a large pipe where water flowed out of the hotel and into the sea, allowing the two to enter the hotel covertly. Presea soon climbed up onto the counter area, her entire body dripping with water and her hair drooping against her shoulder. In her right hand was a small hatchet. It was about a foot and a half long with a sharp side at one end. It was light and although it wasn't as strong as her axe, it was still fatal if hit at the right spot. As Presea wiped the blade of the blood, Regal approached the counter. The elevator didn't respond to the buttons earlier, so he assumed that the lift was shut down. He checked the control panel and reactivated the elevator. The doors parted immediately after he input the commands, revealing an empty space in the wall. Presea darted to the elevator as Regal hopped over the counter. He chased after her and stepped into the elevator alongside her.

After about a second, a "ding" sound echoed, and the doors closed. The elevator began to ascend.

"Where do you think the hostages are?" Presea asked as she wringed her hair out.

"They're most likely on the fourth or fifth floor. It'd be logical to confine them in a hotel room where they can be kept a close watch."

"I see." The elevator stopped at the second floor. Presea was alerted at the sudden stop. "Move." She pushed Regal to the wall opposite her and put her wall against the one behind her. As the door opened, five shirunken flew into the elevator. They embedded into the adjacent wall between Presea and Regal, which would've killed them if they had stood there. Sensing the pause, Presea pulled out two hatchets and stepped in front of the opening. She threw her first hatchet to the right, catching the ninja right between the eyes and the second hatchet to the one on her left, hitting with incredible accuracy. As the two ninjas fell to the ground dead, a third one in the middle of the room popped out and threw three ninja stars. Presea quickly pulled out a third one and threw it in the enemy's direction. As the stars collided with the hatchet, they deflected off of the hatchet and embedded into the ground. The ninja had no chance, it was moving too fast, and before he knew it, he was lying dead on the ground with the small axe in his forehead.

The bell rang and the doors closed. Regal stood at the wall amazed at what he just saw. She had certainly improved since the last time he saw her use the hatchets. Last time she could barely hit the critical spots of the target, but now he could tell that it felt natural for her to aim for the head or chest.

"You've certainly improved."

"Hmm. Thank you." Presea replied. The lift ascended another floor then stopped. The doors slowly began to open, revealing part of the floor. Immediately, soldiers charged to the elevator, brandishing their swords and swinging them quickly and randomly. Regal took the action this time and as the doors opened to their farthest width; he jumped up and grabbed the upper ledge. As he held himself up, he brought his legs forward and kicked all the men back, sending powerful force onto their midsections and down onto the floor. Once all of them lay on the floor, stunned and confused, Regal let go of the ledge and stepped back into the elevator. He noticed one man was trying to get back up, but sent him back to the floor with a quick kick upside his head. The bell rang and the doors closed and the elevator ascended the shaft once again. It continued to rise until the top floor, shifting slightly as it stopped and leveled with the surface of the top floor. Regal looked at Presea, Presea looked at Regal, and the two gave a nod. They knew what to do. The elevator doors began to open and the gap slowly grew wider. As the doors continued to recline, Presea threw three hatchets past the gap and Regal darted out of the lift.

The two stationary guards never saw the objects coming toward them. The hatchets hit their mark and quickly killed one of the two. The second guard stood stunned as the third hatchet dug into his abdomen, drawing blood from his stomach. He never saw Regal coming, and in a second, he felt strong pain on his chest. A second impact hit his head, causing him to spin 180 degrees. He barely felt the third kick as he fell into unconsciousness.

Regal stood before the two defeated guards as Presea walked onto the floor. She waited before the elevator doors while Regal took the key from the guard's belt and unlocked the door to the accommodated room. Inside were all the hostages, ranging from tourists to employees. None of them were hurt or had any sign of injury, but they held a look of fear.

"It's alright. I'm the Lezareno Company president, Regal Bryant." The hostages gave a sigh of relief. All of them stood up and headed toward the door, however Regal stopped them. "I believe it is best if you remain here until further notice. I apologize for this inconvience, but until we are certain the men are gone, I'd like everyone to stay put." All the hostages groaned at hearing this. They had been sitting in the hotel room for over 3 hours, and all of them wanted to go home, or at least outside. "Once again, I apologize for this inconvience. The elevator will be shut down until further notice as well." He handed the key to the top employee in the room and headed back to the elevator along with Presea. As the lift headed down to the first floor, Presea thought about what to do next. It would have to be recapturing the building, but there was a problem. It's is under a tight watch, which would mean that the entrance is under a close watch. So entry was impossible. She looked at Regal and wondered if he had a solution to the problem. He looked rather calm but Presea knew better.

"How are we going to get in?" She asked. "We can't use the elemental railway, and even if we could swim into the building, they'd surround us immediately."

"Yeah I know." He gave a sly smile. "But there's more than one way into the building."

The amusement park was silent. All the rides were shut down for the night and no soul stirred across the grounds. Well, that is except for two people running to the tea cups. Luckily, no guards were stationed at the park which made the sneaking much easier for the pair. Regal headed over to a green teacup as Presea watched from a distance. He stepped into the teacup and waved his hand out toward Presea, beckoning her to join him in the cup. She ran over and sat opposite to him still curious what he was trying to do. She was about to protest riding a theme park ride but decided against it. Whatever he was doing, it must be for a purpose. He closed the door to the teacup and set his hands on the steering wheel, turning once clockwise, twice counterclockwise, three times clockwise, then one more time counterclockwise. With the last action, a loud hiss sounded as air escaped from the steering mechanism.

Suddenly, the round edges of the cup stretched toward the center as it moved upward, forming an egg-like structure with Regal and Presea inside. Straps came out from the walls surrounding them and securing them against the wall, preventing all but their limbs and heads from moving. Presea sat shocked and amazed at what was happening when suddenly, the egg fell past the ground. She nearly jumped in surprise but the straps restrained her, leaving her glued to the seat as it continued to descend into the ground. After about two seconds, it stopped, then repositioned itself and moved horizontally through the ground. She noticed that they were in a metal shaft, keeping the earth away from the steel teacup egg. It continued going down the metal shaft for about thirty seconds, then halted to a stop.

Plastic tubing stretched to the door of egg and fastened to the corresponding side of the egg. Regal stepped out onto the tubing and walked down the path as Presea followed. She had never known about this route, so she was clueless as to where he was leading her. At the end of the plastic tunnel was a door, and past the door was a single room void of all accommodations. All that lay within the empty room was a warp panel, sitting idly on the floor.

"This warp panel should take us into the Lezrano building. The endpoint is a secret room I've had this built in case of an emergency." Regal stated.

"Have you ever used it?" Presea asked.

"Not recently. The only time I've used it was a practice drill to see if it worked."

"I see." Another question popped into her head. "Where'd you get a warp panel anyway?"

"I brought some scientists to the Iselia ranch and asked them to analyze the data on the warp panels. Once they fully understood how it worked, I helped them build a warp set, one in Lezareno and another over here."

Regal stepped onto the warp panel and activated the teleportation. He felt his body lose mass quickly, and with a quick flash of light, he felt his body dissipate into thin air. Presea followed suit and the two headed to the Lezareno Company, ready to take back the building.

* * *

Please review! Also, I'll be gone for a couple days, so updating may be a little slow for my 7th chapter. Bye everyone! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! 


	7. Liberation of Lezareno

Phew! Hey guys! I am really sorry for the delay. Laziness is really starting to strike so I only typed like a sentence a day. Anyway, here's Chapter 7 enjoy! Currently my longest chapter! And prepare yourselves for the FINAL chapter coming soon! Hopefully before September 6th. School starts for me!

* * *

**Replies to Reviewers:**

**All reviewers/readers: **Since Lemmy brought this up and I'm too lazy to include it in previous chapters, Presea has morally INFINITE number of hatchets. Since she keeps them in a wing pack, she can keep almost 200 or more hatchets along with her axe and rhieard.

**Luv2Game: **She still has her axe, don't worry. And the previous chapter was actually my longest length wise before this one.

**StrawberryEggs: **Heh heh. Yeah, good thing they kept that Iselia ranch for warp panel research. She still uses her axe, but her hatchets are sorta like an alternate weapon.

**Kuramagirl44: **Here's the second to last chapter!

**Colette Brunel: **Will do! Thank you for reading!

**Lemmy: **Thanks. The solution to "Presea's infinite hatchets" is above, and thanks for the compliments. By hearing that, it sounds like I may have got Regal out of character here now. I'm trying to show some change as the story goes on. Though he is serious, he's not all the time. Same with Presea, I'm trying to show her in a lighter tone. Not as angsty as in the game. Enjoy!

* * *

Now with that taken care of…Enjoy Chapter 7! 

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Tales of Symphonia…So no suing!

* * *

**Chapter 7: Liberation of Lezareno**

"So, those two were in the hotel?"

"Yes sir. A guard reported it just before we lost contact with him."

"I see. So he did survive after all. Just as I expected."

"Sir?"

"…Carry on your duties. I already have what I need. Keep a close eye on this building. Make sure those inferior beings do not get up here."

"Yes sir."

"If you fail this, your fate will be the same as Makuto's."

"…Y…Yes sir."

"I promise you that you will get your reward once this is completed. So do not fail me."

* * *

Presea recovered from the blinding flash and opened her eyes. Before her was Regal operating a control panel with several video images. Presea had never seen this room before. Aside from the one light, the warp panel, and the control panel, it was completely bare. The walls weren't covered either, it was bare rock. Where was she? 

"Damn it. They've shut down the elevators." Regal stated.

Presea held a look of doubt. "Is that a problem?" She asked.

"Yes. There's an important item in my office which they cannot get their hands on. If they obtain it, this company is in danger of bankruptcy."

"So without the elevators operational, we can't get to the fifth floor." She concluded.

"Yes. We need to head up there immediately. I cannot let them find that item."

"Where's the control mechanism?" Presea asked.

Regal pressed several buttons on the control panel. The first screen changed to show a three-dimensional diagram of the building. The rooms were represented as squares and rectangles and the hallways were represented as cylinders. The screen magnified the fourth level and a square was highlighted. "It should be in there. We can get to that floor from the stairwells. Once the elevators are reactivated, we should be able to get into my office."

"What about the hostages?"

Regal typed into the panel again causing the screens to change views. They changed at the touch of a button, showing different rooms on all the floors. He stopped when he saw a glimpse of an employee. He rotated the camera and saw all the Lezareno employees in the room, including George. He changed the screen to the right to show the diagram of the building. The screen rotated once, closed in on the basement level, and a square flashed.

"They're not far from here. It's at the end of the hallway." He played around with the control panel and a third screen showed an image of the hallway. It was barren and empty with the exception of two guards. They appeared to be standard foot soldiers of the unknown regiment. Regal sighed mentally. This will be an easy rescue. "There are only two guards here. It shouldn't take much effort to defeat them and get the hostages out."

"What is your plan?"

"I'm hoping to get the employees to the hotel with the other residents. I don't want them in different places. It'll be easier to keep track of everyone if they're in one place. However, there's a setback." He changed the screens to show the main lobby. There were at least five guards standing on the floor facing the railway entrance. "There are too many men on the main floor. I don't think we can protect all the hostages from all the threats in the lobby once we're there."

"I'll take care of it." Presea stated.

Regal was caught off guard. "You? Are you sure?"

"You can get the hostages from the storage room while I clear the way for you. I can secure the main hall for the employees to ensure a safe passage." Regal stood silently for a moment. "Do not underestimate my abilities Regal. I have grown stronger from our last encounters, and you know it."

"I know, I'm just a little worried, that's all. Be careful." He warned.

"I will."

A pad of nine buttons opened on the left hand corner of the panel and Regal input a numeric code. The wall on his right made a shifting noise and turned 90 degrees, revealing a secret passage to another room. Presea noticed the passage and made her way past the secret wall to the other room as Regal followed behind her. The wall then closed, leaving the two in what was supposed to be a fake janitor's closet.

The two split once they entered the hall, Regal going to the left while Presea took the right. She opened the door on the opposite wall to the stairwell and headed up to the main floor. Regal continued to run through the small corridor until he could clearly see the two men. A skirmish broke out immediately. The two pulled out their swords from their hilts and rushed toward Regal.

He saw no challenge in the two. He quickly blocked the first slash with his metal bracelet and kicked him in the gut. As the guard recoiled in pain he rebounded off the wall and thrust his heel downward onto the back of his forehead, knocking him unconscious. The second guard panicked at the sight of his partner's quick defeat, and that was all it took for Regal to follow him into the dark. Regal approached him with a menacing look and the guard lost all courage. He dropped his sword and cowered backward, putting his hands up in a defensive measure. Regal took three steps closer to him as the guard continued to back up, then the blue haired battle artist kicked him in the gut and sent him flying to the door. The keys flew out of his pocket as he did so, and Regal picked it off the ground and opened the storage room.

"George?" He immediately asked. An old man of about 60 with grey hair and a grey mustache stood up. He wore a brownish red office jacket and beige colored pants.

"Master Regal! What are you doing here?" He asked with worry.

"I'm here to recapture the building from these intruders." He looked around to see many Lezareno employees lying on the ground, sitting in stands, or standing up. "Are these all the employees George?"

"Yes I believe so. Where's Presea? Has she been…"

Regal shook his head. "She is clearing the path of escape upstairs. We're planning to move everyone to the Hotel Lezareno until these men are gone."

"Ah. Very well, I shall have everyone follow you." George faced the employees and explained the plan. After about five minutes of convincing, all the employees followed Regal out of the room and up the stairs. George covered the back flank armed with the two swords left on the floor as Regal led them up the stairwell. Once they reached the top of the one story flight of stairs, they noticed the door was left ajar. Past the threshold were numerous dents and slash marks in the walls. Furniture was chopped into pieces and splintered wood, debris, and cushion stuffing were scattered all over the room. In the middle of the floor stood Presea, leaning against her large axe and surrounding her were five bodies. Regal couldn't believe the damages done to the main lobby. It was trashed, and costs to replace furniture, repair damages, and restore the main lobby would be at least 100.000 gald.

"Don't you think you got a little carried away?" He asked.

"Do you want it done right or cost effectively?" She retorted. He ignored the last comment and turned to George.

"About how many people can get on the Elemental Railway without crushing it from the weight?"

"It should be able to carry about 10 people seeing that everyone here is in good shape."

"Alright. Is the Railway operator here?" One man raised his hand. "Can you pilot this craft well through the dark?"

"Yes sir." The operator replied.

"Okay." He turned to face the crowd. "We'll be moving in shifts so split into groups of eight, no more, no less. Those who are moving are to follow me to the hotel while everyone else remain here with George and Presea until you've all been moved to the hotel. I can understand that you wish to leave this island to your homes and families, but for your safety please remain in the hotel until we can make sure it is safe to leave this island. Is that understood everyone?" All the employees nodded their heads. They quickly split into groups of eight and soon there were five groups with six remaining. Regal took the first six over to Altamira and escorted them to the hotel then returned to the railway and took the next group, then the next, and so on. The entire process took about twenty minutes, and the only people who remained were Regal, Presea, George, and the pilot.

"We should head up to the fifth floor now. Once we reactivate the lift we can clear out the building." Regal said.

"Master Regal, we have no means of defense at the hotel. All of our security guards were injured when these men arrived." George stated.

"So the hotel is vulnerable to attack then." Presea concluded.

"Yes." He answered. "If they attack us, we won't able to defend ourselves."

Presea pondered for a moment and quickly came up with a solution. "What if we split up?"

"We don't know how many hostiles are in this building, let alone the fact that they could ambush us." Regal warned. "I don't think that's the best…"

"I'll go." She decided.

Regal remained silent for a moment. She had interrupted him earlier and suddenly declared that she'll head to the upper levels of the building. "No… I should be…" He protested.

"Regal, there's no telling what these men have. They could use a long range weapon on you like in the hotel. If you're caught by those, then your life is gone. I can retaliate with my hatchets, and my axe is enough to kill many with a single blow."

"She makes a good point Master Regal. Also, I must agree with Presea. I believe the employees will feel more at rest if the president himself was with them."

Regal realized he was overruled. He knew the logic behind their decisions but this was his responsibility. He didn't want anyone to risk their life for what he had. However he groaned mentally. He's not going to be able to sway their decision so he consented. "Alright. George, please inform everyone that they are to remain on the fifth floor until further notice. I'll be at the main lobby." He turned to Presea. "Be careful Presea."

"I will." She casually replied.

"Call the hotel lobby when you get to my office. I'll be there right away."

"Okay." She headed to the stairwell when Regal stopped her.

"Oh Presea, one last thing,"

"What?"

"Please refrain from damaging the building. I pay for the repairs and maintenance myself, and the damage here has already exceeded 100.000 Gald."

Presea gave an annoyed look. Why's he talking about money at a time like this? "Yes Master Regal. I'll be a good girl." She replied and headed up the stairs.

The stairwell was blocked halfway. A large barrier blocked access to the third floor, leaving Presea to take the second floor and find another route up. As she stopped at the closed door to the second floor, she kneeled before it and peered through the window. A lone foot soldier walked around the hallway and he was oblivious to the small patch of pink hair visible on the bottom margin of the window. A sneaky idea came into Presea's mind. She banged on the door once. The guard heard the resonating echo, but dismissed it. Seeing that he didn't pay attention, she hit the door again. This time his curiosity was piqued, and walked cautiously to the door. Presea disappeared from the window and put her ear to the door, listening closely for the growing footsteps.

Closer…Closer…Now! She twisted the handle and swiftly pushed the door open, hitting the guard square in the face. As the guard staggered back in pain, she quickly jabbed him, grabbed his wrist, and threw him over her back down to the floor. She hid the body and headed into the next room of the archives. As she entered the next room, two guards leaning against the archive wall were alerted. They drew out their swords and charged toward her. Presea quickly pulled out two hatchets from her wing pack and hurled them toward the men. The first hatchet its mark to the man on her left and the second one hit the same man on the forehead, causing the guard to thud onto the ground. His partner was puzzled by this action and never saw the large axe heading toward him until it was too late. The large curved blade cut horizontally through his chest and again diagonally from the lower right, hurling him into the air. He slammed into the large shelf of old documents and fell to the floor, along with all the documents and the shelf burying him underneath the pile of papers and trapping him underneath the wooden shelf. Presea sheathed her axe and headed to the open door next to the elevator. She headed up the stairway and just as before, a large spiked barrier blocked the route to the fourth floor.

Having no choice, Presea opened the door on her right side and entered the third floor. The third floor was where most of the office activities were held. Office spaces littered many of the rooms on the floor and were separated by large spaces furnished with sofas, tables, magazines, and large windows. Presea zipped through the first office which was devoid of resistance and entered the sitting room. A single foot soldier sat on the fancy sofa and noticed the pink haired intruder. She took care of him quickly with a single swing of her heavy axe, leaving him dead on the floor and a large dent on the floor. She resumed her trek across the third level and after five minutes of trekking, killing, and damaging the unknown soldiers and the building itself, she came to the last set of stairs. Once she gets to the fourth floor, it'll only be a few minutes before power is restored. She swiftly climbed the stairs, skipping every two steps as she rounded the corner of each set of stairs in the tall rectangular room. She pulled the door open, rushed onto the floor, and searched for the electrical room.

As she made her way into an office room, three men came at her from different directions. They rushed with swords at the ready but Presea took care of them quickly. She pulled out a hatchet and killed the first one with a shot to the head. With lightning reflexes, she pushed the handle of her large axe behind her and hit the second guard in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. As he grasped his stomach, she pivoted on her feet and spun with her axe at its fullest length like a top. It hit the guard on the side and sent him flying into the 'divider' walls, which crashed to the floor and sent various papers flying. She didn't forget about the third one and quickly blocked the sword swing with a hatchet from her wing pack. The guard pulled his sword back and thrust upward, jumping into the air and spinning his body along with his sword in a spiral, hoping to mince the intruder. Presea managed to block the spiraling attacks and quickly retaliated with one of her own. She pushed her axe into the floor with great force and flung herself forward, leading with her feet. Using the axe as a pivot, she spun around it 180 degrees and hit the guard's chest, causing him to stagger two steps back. When her feet returned to the surface, she tightly grasped her axe and raised it from behind her back and with a quick swing above her head, thrust it downward onto her opponent's back, knocking him into the floor which left a human shaped indentation.

After a brief pause from the skirmish, she returned her axe to the wing pack and ran through the floor, passing various pieces of furniture, narrow hallways, and large office spaces. She finally saw a door with the words "Electrical" on a label next to the door. She gripped the handle and turned but it wouldn't move. The door was locked from the inside. Seeing it wouldn't open under conventional means, she took out her large axe and broke the door down. She quickly reactivated the elevator and headed for the lifts in a furnished section of the floor. Strangely, there was little resistance on the fourth floor and it hadn't escaped Presea's mind. Seeing how these men had taken over the building, she expected at least a decent defense on this floor since it had the elevator control mechanism. However, the only resistance she faced was the three guards near the stairway. It didn't make sense. Why were there only three men on this floor, let alone a small force in the entire building?

She dismissed the question as she approached the elevator. She stepped into the lift and ascended to the fifth floor, Regal's office. She pulled her large axe and prepared for battle. It'd make perfect sense for several men to be at the fifth floor, and they aren't stupid enough to not post some guards on the president's floor, especially since there was the large vault as well as priceless valuables. The doors opened slowly and Presea tightened her grip on her axe. However, no one came. The entire office was empty. There were signs that someone was in the room earlier though. Papers lying on the floor, folders scattered all over the desk, furniture turned over and slashed, and the room was dimly lit by the broken lamps. Presea entered the room cautiously, slowly approaching the phone on the desk. The papers crinkled underneath her feet as she stepped closer to the desk. She slowly grabbed the phone and dialed the number for the hotel lobby. She looked around the room as the dial tone rang through her ear, checking to make sure she was alone in the room.

"Hello?" A voice asked.

His voice caught her by surprise. "Regal?"

"Presea?" He grew alarmed from hearing her tone. "Are you alright?"

"Yes. I'm fine." She replied. "The elevator's been restored so you can come…" She noticed a dark region on the floor. "any…time." She whipped her head around the room to look for anyone besides her. It was empty.

"Presea? Is everything okay?" She looked back at the floor to see that the dark spot was gone. She looked around the floor frantically for that spot. What was that? Then she saw it. It was inching across the ground, and slowly closing in.

"Regal…" She whispered. "Come quickly."

* * *

Looks like she's not alone... 

Anyway, before I post the last chapter, I'd like to take a poll.

If you would like for me to make this story longer, say yes. If not, say no. Please say so in the reviews! Thank you for reading!

Don't forget to review!


	8. The New Enemy

Okay! Chapter 8 is now up and running! And behold! It is now my LONGEST chapter! Full of action, awkwardness, and angst! And I kept my promise too! Delivered this before the 6th of Septemeber! Whoo hoo!

Ahem...Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter. This was originally how the story was going to end by the way.

Don't expect updates for a little while on this. I need to balance out with my Megaman fic (which unfortunately no good Megaman fan is reviewing to, or any Megaman fanfic authors sniffle sniffle ) but I shall continue both stories when I find the time and ideas to do so. Keep updated!

Also, I just like to say thanks to everyone who read my fanfics and stuff. I'd also like to thank you for your support and stuff, and it's about time I started reviewing myself. SO I'll be checking up on your fanfics (for the authors here anyway) and give my own feedback!

Ok, I'll stop with this for now.

Note: Sorry if you get TWO e-mails saying that I added a new chapter. I deleted this because I noticed I forgot to put in a border (but that doesn't matter).

* * *

**Replies to Reviewers:**

**Luv2Game: **I'm trying to add some fluff. I know it's not much but I was planning on it at some points. Don't worry, you'll see it eventually. And thank you for the vote.

**StrawberryEggs: **Heh. Thanks for the compliment. Also, I figured that someone would have to ask how Presea could have access to what appears to be an infinite amount of hatchets, so she keeps them all in a wing pack…

**Lemmy: **Heh heh, of course I was actually hoping that the readers say "More!" because this was the actual ending. Yea the action is indeed heating up, however I think my chapters have so much action it gets boring sometimes. What I think anyway…

**Kratos Man: **As you wish, and thanks for the compliment.

**Colette the Klutz: **You got it! Here's longer, and yes I'll try to add more fluff in. Hopefully some of this chapter counts as fluff.

**Kuramagirl44: **Don't worry, Presea kicks ass in this chapter! Well, for the most part anyway. Thanks for the compliment, hopefully this chapter will keep your interest and not bore everyone to death.

**MMM PIE: **Thanks for all the compliments and constructive criticisms. I'll take the idea of showing the 'techs' to heart as well as Union Attacks (there's one in this). Also, I'll try to be a little more descriptive too. Imagery is important to me so my readers get a good mental picture.

And I know some of the details are minor in stature, but I'll just keep that there for the moment (originally I was planning for Regal to be like that, but I think I'm going to change his wardrobe slightly).

Anyway, thanks for the review! I'll take the advice too!

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia or the characters (as much as I wish to)**

Now with no delay, let the chapter...begin! ENJOY!

**Chapter 8: The New Enemy**

Presea lunged to her right toward the bookshelf and dodged a knife from the ceiling. She quickly pulled out a hatchet and threw it to the area above the large desk. Just as the hatchet made contact, a figure dropped onto the floor. The person wore a black cloak with the hood covering his face. Presea couldn't tell who it was because of the dark hood, however she noticed that he wore strange boots.

He pulled out a long sword in one hand and a small dagger in the other. Presea tightly gripped her axe and waited for her opponent's move. The two stood stiff in their positions, waiting for someone to make the first move. Then, without warning, the man charged toward her. He leapt off one foot and flew toward her at an incredible speed. He swung his sword hand which Presea blocked and with his free dagger hand, thrust it forward. Presea dodged the dagger by moving her body, then with a powerful push, shoved him to the middle of the office, giving her some good breathing room. She took a few steps forward and swung her axe horizontally, aiming for his chest. The man bent his back under the axe and jumped back to dodge the diving axe blade coming diagonally. He jumped over the axe and swung his blades toward her but Presea dodged his string of attacks. She then rolled to the side of the man, grabbed her axe, and swung it upward, hitting the man with the curved blade and sending him into the ceiling. The deadly flower was about to send him crashing into the floor but before she could, the man rebounded off the ceiling and kicked her chest, sending her into the wall while parting her great axe.

Presea landed on the sofa beneath the wall and after shaking off the daze, she noticed the man charging toward her. She quickly rolled to the side and avoided the incoming dagger, then pulled out two hatchets and slashed the man's shoulder once. As he recoiled in pain, Presea quickly got up off the couch and ran toward her axe. She threw the two hatchets behind her as she closed in on the weapon. The man's dagger was stuck. It caught onto a hard material in the sofa and he couldn't pull it out. However, he was aware of the projectiles coming toward him and with swift speed and precision, knocked away the first one and caught the second one. By that time, Presea had grabbed her axe and with the remaining momentum from her sprint, ran to the end of the room while dragging the axe across the wood floor. She pivoted on her leading foot and at the last second dodged the flying hatchet. When her view returned to the front, the man lifted the large sofa onto his shoulders and aimed for her.

He had picked up the furniture like it was a feather, and with a loud yell, he threw it toward her. Presea quickly lunged out of the way, roll along the floor to shake off the momentum, and returned to her fighting stance. She ran toward him and leapt into the air. The axe rose behind her back and with a powerful force, struck it hard into the floor. The shockwave spread through the entire room and created a large circular dent in the floor, but it missed the cloaked man. He caught Presea off guard from the side and slashed her three times, once diagonally, another horizontally, and again diagonally. Presea staggered back from the attack and the man took the advantage to send her flying with a "beast", causing a powerful force from his arms to send her flying across the room. She hit the floor with her back but slowly got back up. Pain racked through her body, one she hadn't felt within the last three years, that's when the object caught her sight.

On his left wrist was a small sphere. It was bluish in color and a yellow structure surrounded it. It was an exsphere. How did he get a hand on that? The deadly flower had no time to comprehend the answer as he rushed toward her again. Presea was ready this time and quickly blocked the string of attacks. She swept his feet with her axe and sent him to the floor on his back. Presea raised the axe above her head again and sent it downward directly to him. The man quickly rolled out of the way and pushed off his hands back onto his feet, hitting her from the side. She staggered toward the desk and fell behind it onto the hard wood floor. As she recovered from the pain, a dark shadow covered her. Presea looked quickly to see the man standing above her on the desk. His blade was drawn in his right hand and looked ominously at her. Even though his face was hidden under the dark hood, she could see the malevolence in his eyes. He pulled his sword arm back and prepared to stab her. Presea didn't flinch; she waited for the final move. She couldn't do anything, her axe lay on the other side of the desk, and it'd take too long to retaliate by drawing her hatchet from the wing pack.

Suddenly, the elevator bell rang. The man looked behind him and saw the light indicator slowly flashing to the right end of the scale. It was heading toward this floor. He sheathed his sword and landed between Presea and the large bay view window. He jumped through it and fell over five stories into the bay. Presea leaned over the broken shards and looked down. White foam broke the surface of the water, and lights came on from the sides and front of a strange apparatus. Presea realized what it was. It was a boat and it speeded away from the building and out into the sea.

"Presea?" A voice asked. Presea quickly got off of the floor and struggled off of the floor. The battle with the intruder took a lot of energy out of her, and with the support of the desk, she pulled herself off of the glass covered floor. In front were Regal and George, both shocked at the sight of the office. The shock changed to worry when they saw Presea struggling to stand.

"Presea!" Regal rushed to her aid. "Are you okay?" He pulled one of her arms around his shoulder to help her walk.

"I'm…fine." She replied. She coughed once.

"What happened?" He asked.

"There was a man with an exsphere." The battle left her injured and her office attire covered with red spots and various cuts.

"Is he still here?" He asked worriedly. He helped her over to a nearby chair and gently released her arm from his shoulder.

"No. He escaped." She pointed to the broken window. George brought the first aid kit and tended to her wounds. Being an assistant to Regal for many years had helped him learn valuable experiences, including basic first aid. As he tended to her wounds, Regal noticed the large portrait of his family near the window. It was slightly askew. A suspicious look grew on his face as he walked toward it. He pushed the portrait to the side, revealing a small vault.

"Master Regal…" George asked as he followed him. Regal started the combination but the door fell off the black box. He frantically looked inside and a look of fear grew on his face.

"It's gone."

"Sir?" George asked.

"The key's gone." The two men stood silently for a short moment while Presea held a look of doubt. What's important about this key? Regal turned to face George. "I'm going to the vault. George, call Meltokio security and get this place cleaned up."

"Yes sir." He answered.

"Wait," Presea stopped him. "I'm coming too."

"No." He immediately answered.

"Regal,"

He interrupted Presea, "I'm not letting you go into a dangerous situation in that condition. You need medical aid Presea; you shouldn't go into battle like that."

"I can still fight." She slowly stood up off of the chair and shakily walked over to her large axe and picked it up.

"No." He said sternly. He placed a gentle tone when he realized how he sounded at first. "Please…stay here." He walked over to the elevator and pressed a button on the panel. He walked into the elevator and just as the doors closed, an arm stood between them, stopping the doors from closing. They automatically reclined back, and there stood Presea leaning against her axe as she struggled to maintain her balance.

"I can still fight Regal. As long as I can, I will fight alongside you."

"Presea…"

"I'm going with you Regal. I'm not going to let you go alone after what happened earlier."

He saw unwavering determination in her eyes. She wanted to fight, even in her condition. He sighed. There was going to be no deterring her. "Alright, come on." The door closed and the elevator descended. Even though she could fight, Presea was struggling to stay in one spot without the aid of her axe. "Presea," He placed his hands on her shoulders. Before Presea could say anything, Regal shushed her. "Close your eyes and relax." He slowly began to move his fingers, caressing them through the torn cloth of the blouse. Presea didn't understand what he was doing. His hands felt uncomfortable against her shoulders as he gently rubbed them but soon she was beginning to feel strange. It felt as if a tingling sensation was traveling through her body and it was steadily growing stronger. Add to that her shoulders were slowly increasing in temperature and the heat was starting to travel with the strange feeling. Her arms suddenly slacked and she leaned against the elevator wall. Her breathing picked up slightly and she was now drawing deep breaths as she felt the fingers caress her shoulders. It felt pleasurable to her, one that she never felt before in her entire lifetime. She just stopped herself from letting out a moan when Regal tightly gripped her shoulders and applied pressure in front of them with his thumbs. Then, barely above a whisper, he uttered one word. "Healer."

Presea immediately gasped. The growing tingling suddenly grew into a torrent of energy. She could feel it coursing through her blood with quick speed and mending her wounds along the way. The slash marks and cuts on her body mended themselves and the headache that banged through the recesses of her mind diminished. She felt her strength return and the pain disappear from her body. Presea then opened her eyes to see Regal looking down at her, his hands still clamped on her shoulders.

"Do you feel better?" He asked.

She blushed slightly as she looked back at him. "Yes. Thank you"

He stepped away from her and turned his back to her. "I apologize. I can't use 'Healer' at a distance without the aid of an exsphere. I have to physically touch the person to initiate the healer tech." He felt a growing redness in his cheeks. It felt just as awkward to him as it did to her. The elevator stopped at the first floor and after a ding, the doors opened. The two rushed outside and after pulling the rhieards out of the wing pack, they hopped on and flew off to the vault.

* * *

He had done it. The large steel door unlocked and revealed the contents inside. He smiled as he saw the many papers lined up and organized by files. However, there was only one that was necessary. The cool damp air of the cave did not deter him nor affect him. His eyes scanned across the vault as he searched through the various files, looking for the one paperwork he needed. Pools of water at the four corners of the room rose and fell with the tides, making the salty water of the sea rise over the lip of the holes occasionally and saturating the room with the spray of the sea. The bright lights embedded in the hard rock walls of the cavern made it all the easier, and once the file is found, his goal will be one step closer. His brown gloved finger traced through the 'E' section of the vault and traveled downward as he read down the list. 

The vault was located on a small island just off the coast of Altamira. Inside it were the most important documents of the Lezareno Company, ones that had brought them the greatest profits as well as ones that could leave the company bankrupt. It was located in a hidden cavern below the surface of the island, and occasionally it was flooded via the tide holes. The system of the tides was used as a second security measure to keeping the vault hidden. When it was mid to high tide, the entire cavern would be flooded with water, leaving it inaccessible under conventional means. However, he saw past that system, and easily infiltrated the vault. The entrance was easy to find, as well as seeing when to enter the cavern for the vault. He didn't need the key, but he brought it along with him as a precautionary measure. He continued to scan the E section.

"Ah. Here it is." The words 'Exspheres' caught his attention and took out the entire file. "Hmm…This is too easy." He whispered as he slipped the file inside his vest. That's when he heard echoes over the sound of the surf in the cavern, indicating boots stomping down the wet, stone steps of the cave. He smiled. "So Regal, you have come."

Regal and Presea ran into the cavern and stopped before the open steel door. A man stood before it, and his back was facing them. Unbeknownst to them, he had a sneer on his face. The two were shocked at what they saw. The man that stood before them had distinguishing features. He wore a brown vest with a striped green shirt, as well as brown pants and brown shoes. He was a little overweight and was bald except for some locks at the top of his head.

"It can't be..." Presea uttered in disbelief.

"Vharley!" Regal shouted.

The man chuckled. "Well…Surprised to see me?" He turned to face the two but kept his distance from them. "After you attempted to kill me and left me for dead, this is how you greet me?"

"How…How is it possible?" Regal shouted in disbelief. "We saw you die before our eyes!"

Vharley merely chuckled. "You didn't think I actually died did you? My body was still capable of living even after the damage you've done to it, and I owe it all to this." He pulled off his right glove to reveal a red sphere. It was a Cruxis Crystal.

Presea gasped in surprise. "Is that…a Cruxis Crystal!"

"Yes my dear Presea, and it was this little trinket that saved my life, but enough of that." He stepped forward. "I have what I need here, and if you don't want to join Alicia anytime soon, then get out of my way."

Regal scoffed. "You? You think you can defeat us alone?"

Vharley's smile grew. "Is that how it's going to be? Fine." He pulled out a large metal staff with spikes at each end. Four large points pointed in opposite directions along with a large point at the very end was present on both sides of the staff, revealing a meticulously carved design to the weapon and a sparkling shine. "I'll kill you both, and be rid of you pests once and for all!"

The three combatants charged in and attacked. Vharley swung his barbed staff downward from the right to Regal but the battle artist blocked the attack with his greaves and quickly countered. He jumped off his standing foot and kicked Vharley in the left side, causing him to flinch and Regal quickly took the opportunity to spin kick him away by pivoting on his left foot and sending his right leg straight into Vharley's face. Presea had caught up with the two and as the green and brown garbed opponent recovered, she slashed him twice diagonally with her axe and followed up with devastation, jumping up in the air and bringing the axe behind her head and down to the ground. Regal quickly took the opportunity to kick his opponent several times and follow up with a crescent moon, a technique where he thrust his legs upward and followed with his body, hitting Vharley in the chin as he spun 360 degrees upward in mid air and landed back on his feet.

He rushed over for another attack but Vharley blocked his string of attacks. He then countered by grasping the staff in the middle with both hands and swinging it upward from the bottom left, hitting Regal with the sharp spikes from the end of the stick. He then pivoted on his left foot and hit Regal with a spin kick of his own, then slashed his midsection with a horizontal swing as he spun on his pivot. The deadly flower ran past the battle artist and rushed toward her opponent. Presea swung her mighty axe horizontally after stopping short of Vharley position but was blocked by his swift movements. His staff pushed Presea's axe out of the way and while her guard was down from the unpredicted axe movement, Vharley quickly stabbed her once then pushed her back with a strong horizontal slash. As the two recovered from the attacks, he set the staff in his right hand and used his left hand in a 'come here' gesture, taunting them to try harder.

Regal got on one knee as he recovered. "He's gotten stronger. Ugh…"

Presea leaned against her axe. "It must be the Cruxis crystal." She staggered slightly. "He must be using that for his strength in battle."

"Yeah, then we just need to outwit him." Suddenly an idea struck him. He looked over to Presea, and she was thinking the same. The two rushed toward Vharley and just when they were in striking range, they went in opposite directions, Regal taking the right while Presea took the left. Vharley swung his staff vertically but missed as the two separated. Presea quickly locked her legs and spun her axe in a full circle like a top, a move better known as 'punishment' while Regal followed up from the right with two roundhouse kicks and a crescent moon.

"Let's go!" Regal shouted. He jumped back once and started the attack.

"Heaven's Charge!" He rammed into Vharley with his shoulder and pushed him toward Presea.

"Beast!" Presea unleashed focused energy with a powerful ax swing impacting Vharley and pushing him to the door of the vault.

"Go!" Regal shouted. "Heaven's Beast!" Simultaneously, they unleashed their attacks, Regal using Heaven's Charge while Presea unleashed Beast, hitting Vharley from both sides with incredible strength. He keeled over onto his knees and fell from the attack. After a few seconds, he quietly groaned and slowly got onto one knee. The two combatants prepared for Vharley's next move, but just as he got on both feet, he collapsed onto one knee. The threat was averted.

"Give up Vharley. It's over." Presea stated.

"Security will take you into custody within the hour. You other option is death, which I'm certain you do not wish in your situation."

Vharley remained silent for a moment, then chuckled. "Do you think that's it? One lousy attack like that and you think you've defeated me?" A powerful shockwave shot out from his body, pushing both Regal and Presea away from him. They skidded to a stop across the rocky floor and looked back in shock at Vharley. He stood up on both his feet with his staff resting in his right hand. "I am not the Vharley you once knew. Not the broker who searched for exspheres merely for profit. No. I am a new man, one that will hold this world in the palm of my hand!" He pulled out an exsphere with a key crest. "Let me show you the true power of the exsphere!"

Regal and Presea didn't waste any time. They quickly ran toward him and prepared to unleash their attacks. However, they were caught off guard. Vharley pointed the staff at Regal and shot a bolt of electricity. Regal never saw it coming. The shock impacted him and traveled through his body, sending sharp pain all over his body as well as causing him to fall onto the cold wet floor. Presea was surprised at the sight. Did Vharley just use magic? She shifted her focus back to Vharley and continued to sprint toward him, ready to strike him with all her strength.

"Hmph." Vharley pointed his metal staff at the pool of water closest to him and the water reacted. It slowly crawled out of the pool and traveled through the air in a stream. The water concentrated into a ball in front of him and as Presea closed in, aimed it. "Aqua Laser!" The ball of water turned into a surging stream once more and propelled into her, sending Presea into the wall and her axe sliding across the floor. He caught the sight of Regal out of the corner of his eye and quickly blocked three kicks. He swung the metal staff at Regal, hitting him four times with the sharp barbs at the ends. Vharley then charged his staff, and thrust it into Regal's chest. Electricity surged through his body causing Regal to scream in pain. Vharley kept the staff at that position for what seemed like an eternity before the blast shot Regal across the room and close to where Presea lay exhausted.

With great effort, the two struggled to stand up. Their entire bodies racked with pain and each time they attempted to stand their legs buckled. Presea stood on one knee and used the support of her axe to stand while Regal stayed down on one knee and breathed deep, exhausted breaths. As he did so, he noticed a strange color on the ground. It was no longer the earth brown, but a mystical purplish blue. Presea noticed the strange aura too, and as she tried to keep balance, one thought went through her mind, Indignation. Regal thought the same but it was too late, the spell was already charged. They had no time to brace for the attack, and both were hit by a powerful lightning strike. The force of the blast shot the two combatants into the air and they landed with a hard thud on their backs. Neither of them had the strength left to fight, or even sit up for that the matter. Their bodies were exhausted and under tremendous pain. They could barely move. Vharley smiled at his victory.

"Ha. Did you get a taste of my true power?" He asked arrogantly. It was silent with the exception of the deep breathing from the two combatants. He looked over at the new exsphere attached to his left wrist. "This exsphere has done wonders for me. Not only did it keep my consciousness intact in the nasty sewers, but granted me this great power." He pulled his gaze from the exsphere. "You were merely a speck of dust to me, mere weaklings facing a fierce devil." He opened the 'Exspheres' file and checked the contents. "Now that I have this, there'll be no stopping me. The very world will tremble at my very name once I'm through with this!"

"You're…insane… Vharley." Vharley looked up from the file when he heard Regal's voice. It was quiet, just above a whisper but held great contempt toward him. He saw Regal slowly get up from the floor, pushing off the ground with his hands and slightly stagger as he maintained his balance. Then he took a deep breath. "You're insane and cruel." He slowly placed a foot forward, then another. "You take the life of someone for your own selfish reasons," He took another step. "And you force them into torment and pain even after their death." He staggered as he took another step. "To think that you once sold them out of greed to buyers, and now you abuse them for your own purposes," He stopped, "you're no longer a greedy man…" He looked straight at him with contempt in his eyes "You're just like me…a sinner who'll burn in Hell."

Vharley fired a focused charge at Regal's chest, causing him to scream out in pain and fall onto his back again. "You should be happy for your death el presidente." He walked toward him. "You'll finally be with your damn Alicia." He was getting closer. "Oh, but then again, perhaps you'll spend your eternity in Hell." He stood before Regal with the spikes just above his chest. "Why don't we find out?" Vharley pulled his arm back and prepared to penetrate his chest. Regal waited for the blow, and just as Vharley thrust the spear, he closed his eyes. However, just as the point touched his chest, Vharley stopped. He had a better idea. "The tide should arrive within the hour…" He said to him. "And what better way to prolong your judgment than to leave you slowly dying." Vharley sheathed his metal staff and walked up the stairway. "Farewell Regal! Good luck on your final judgment!" A loud clang echoed through the cavern, indicating the entrance was shut and locked.

'So, this is it.' Regal thought to himself. 'This is… how I'm going to die.' His breathing was starting to slow and his vision was slightly blurry. 'Looks like we'll be reunited soon Alicia… Together for eternity…soon.' He painfully turned his head to see Presea, lying against the ground. Tears began to well up in his eyes. He had failed her, as well as Alicia. The promise at the sky terrace was broken. Regal slowly crawled toward her, pain scraping itself on his exposed skin. He gently brushed aside a lock of her hair to see her face. She looked so peaceful, as if she was sleeping on a comfortable bed. He couldn't hold it any longer. He broke down.

How could this have happened! He vowed that he would protect her for Alicia's sake, and now…she's gone. Regal cried harder, the tears stinging his eyes and face as they crept down his face to the soggy floor. He couldn't bring her back, she was gone. Healer wouldn't do anything, and he was too weak to even try. He was helpless, and couldn't even move. The vision of Presea's peaceful face was beginning to blur, and the feeling of her cold skin was fading. His sorrow suddenly disappeared and he felt he was being alleviated of his sins. He felt at peace, even in the growing darkness. The sight of the lights was growing dark, and he felt his energy fading. He just wanted to close his eyes and sleep now. Forget about the pain, suffering, and forget about this world. He grasped to the last bit of energy he had and placed his hand on Presea's. Then, before his breath left him, he uttered one last sentence.

"For…give…me…Pre…sea."

* * *

That was the ORIGINAL ending for the fiction. Anyway, with that out of the way, please review! Thank you for reading and wish you all (to those who apply) the best of luck in school or college! 

And I've got to get ready too. Sophomore year is going to be a bit hard for me now. (High school sophomore.)


	9. A Second Chance

I'm back! That's right after almost 3 months of facing laziness, writer's block, and school, I FINALLY UPDATED!

Ok, I'll stop it here. Anyway, for those who didn't know, I knew no one didn't want me to end the story like that (Chapter 8), so I decided to put this in for a poll on whether or not you want to continue I wasn't going to leave the story hanging like that so no worries>. I just wanted to hear what your reactions were to the ORIGINAL ending (More like 'fake' ending).

Anyway, before we start...

* * *

**Replies to Reviewers:**

**Luv2Game**: Heh heh good point. I was trying to show Regal's 'casual' side but I guess that was too big of a jump. Anyway, I never WAS intending to end it like that, so no worries. The story WILL still be going, don't worry.

**StrawberryEggs**: Thank you for the comment. Yes it is truly MY opinion and decision for how to write stories, but I always consider my fellow readers. I knew that no one was going to want this ending, so that's why I put in a 'poll'. Also, I am VERY SORRY for the delay. How did they survive? Well read and find out!

**Colette the Klutz**: I'm sorry about the ending. Don't worry, they didn't die…Read to find out what happens

**Colette Brunel:** This ISN'T the ending so no worries. The story will continue after this chapter and the journey continues. And yes, I can make Presea die, in fact I can make ANYONE die! laughs evilly . But I'm merciful, so no worries.

**Kuramagirl44:** Thanks for the compliment. Yes I am INDEED a sophomore (Pokes the puny freshmen). I'm hoping this fic will get better as I continue writing, so let's see how this goes.

**Lemmy**: Interesting observation Lemmy. I never really thought of Vharley being like the Penguin, but it's cool. I can't quite see it, but I like the idea (only thing I do see is the 'fat' part). Yes, this is INDEED my longest entry (story wise and chapter wise (Chapter 8)). The story doesn't end there, it continues and I will continue with what happens to Vharley and the bad guys' plan. (And hopefully answer all your questions).

* * *

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Tales of Symphonia. If I did, I would've made Regal match up with Presea WAY before the ending (I am a supporter of that couple after all).

* * *

**Chapter 9: A Second Chance**

He felt warm, a strange tingling sensation urging him to wake up as it circulated through his body. The man's eyes slowly opened, hesitating for a minute, before fully exposing his irises. A bright white light filled his eyes, causing him to wince. When his pupils adjusted to the bright light, a sea of blue and violet was all that surrounded him. There was no ground or sky, just a deep purplish blue. Thin wisps of sky blue passed by him as a bright white light shined above. The man slowly moved his hand before him. A white robe covered his body but it felt incredibly light, as if he wasn't wearing anything at all.

He slowly moved around the strange atmosphere, and after a step, he felt something flutter behind him. White feathers from his left caught his eye and he turned his head. There were wings. Beautiful, majestic, angelic wings embedded in his back that moved at his command. He flexed them, then closed them, then flexed again. The man smiled. The thought of having wings was amusing and he flew around the atmosphere. He did flips, summersaults, and other tricks as the man flew through the air with the greatest of ease. Finally, he stopped. Where am I he pondered? However his memory failed him. Memory? What was memory he asked himself. The word had suddenly come to mind but he couldn't remember where he heard it. The angel set his hands behind his head and drifted slowly through the atmosphere. Memory…What is memory? The word suddenly returned, and he recalled…strange feelings.

Pain…Pain all over his body. That was the first thing that hit him. Racking, striking, slashing pain cut at his limbs. Then, a blistering cold, like he was frozen in deep snow, and finally nothingness. As he focused on his memories, a shrill cry echoed through his mind. The memories suddenly hit him full force. Metal clanging, lightning sparking, electricity flowing, tides receding, all of which were from his last memory. However, the most disturbing was the cry. It repeated in his mind over and over. Where had he heard this? It followed with a strange laughter, one that taunted him as he tried to recall who made the cry. The cry wasn't of joy or laughter, it was pain, pain and agony.

The images were still unclear. They were distorted and shattered, like pieces of a broken mirror. He held his head in his hands as he struggled to understand where this voice was coming from. Who is this? And why is this thought tormenting him? The images slowly grew sharper and clearer, revealing the final event of the man's life. There was a dark cavern filled with dim lights coming from lanterns embedded in the hard rocks. Figures stood at opposite ends of the large room, two on one side and one on the other. There was a blue-haired man wearing a white shirt and blue pants and a pink-haired woman in a strange uniform standing on one side while a short, chubby man wearing green and brown stood at the other end. He still had no idea who they were, but as the scene unfolded from within his mind, he remembered everything.

His name was Regal. He died in the vault at Altamira. As well as…Presea.

Regal sighed. "Presea…" He uttered quietly.

"Regal…" A bright light shined from above, and the white ball illuminated gloriously against the blue background. Regal shielded his eyes from the bright light as a figure garbed in a similar robe slowly hovered down toward him. It slowly approached him while the light slowly dimmed, leaving the large white ball at its original state. The former battler opened his eyes slowly, and saw a beautiful woman before him. She stood at about his height and had long pink colored hair that went down to her back. Angelic wings flapped behind her back, sending large white feathers fluttering through the atmosphere. Violet colored eyes met his blue orbs as Regal stood in shock. The woman smiled. "Hello…Master Regal."

Regal's eyes widened. "A…Alicia?"

The woman nodded her head. "Yes. It is nice to see you again." She held out her hand but Regal made no move. Alicia smiled seeing Regal's uncertainty and caution. "Don't worry Regal. It's really me." Hesitantly, he moved closer to Alicia and gently brushed a stray pink lock from her face. He was shocked. It wasn't an illusion, it was really Alicia.

"Alicia!" He embraced her tightly and hugged her as if she would disappear from this world. Tears of joy streamed down his face like a fountain. His love had returned to him, after all the years living under punishment, he was finally reunited. "I…I'm sorry I doubted you…" He choked out through the tears.

"It's alright Regal. I understand." She pulled out of Regal's embrace and looked into his eyes. The blue haired angel attempted to smile as he held back the tears, showing his good will and joy. "I'm happy to see you again as well." Alicia replied. Regal nodded his head as his answer. He was still overcome by joy at the sight before him and when it finally subsided, the question within Regal's mind returned.

"Alicia, where are we?" He asked.

"We're in purgatory Regal."

"W…What?" He asked with surprise. "How…How did I…" The memory quickly returned. "Oh…right." He sighed. How could this have happened? He was facing Vharley in the Altamira vault and ended up being killed. He and Presea fought well against him, but then he…they… "Wait a minute," He said out loud. Regal quickly turned upon the realization. "Alicia, where's Presea!"

"She's…She's not here Regal." Alicia answered hesitantly.

Regal's eyes widened. "Wha…What! Then where…"

"She's returned to the living world."

"How…" He stopped after hearing the answer. The confusion and anger he felt soon turned into relief and shock. "So…She's alive?"

Alicia nodded her head. "Yes Regal…Presea's alive."

Regal's expression loosened with tension. The words 'Presea's alive' dispelled the guilt within his mind, but the sentence didn't make sense. What did she mean by 'returned'?

As if hearing his thoughts, the maiden angel answered his question. "She died as well Regal, however she returned to Earth after coming here." Regal's head shot up. Did she hear just hear my thoughts? "Yes I did." Alicia answered. Regal's twitched slightly. "I can hear some of your thoughts Regal. It's one of the abilities I have as an angel."

"Then…How did she…" He heard no response from Alicia. He looked directly at her to see her head hung sullenly from his view.

"She…She wanted to go back…No matter how much I persuaded with her, she returned to the world."

"Why?"

"IT WAS TO AVENGE ME!" She yelled in his mind. Regal screamed in pain as the piercing screech echoed through his mind. Alicia realized what she had done and quickly apologized to Regal and continued in a softer tone. "She…She felt guilt for my death, evne though she was not involved with it in anyway. She thought of Vharley as the man who destroyed her family, and when she found that he had survived, she thought that it was her fault for that. I tried to convince her to stay, but she didn't listen, even though I was worried for her safety."

As he listened to Alicia, Regal felt her emotions claw at his mind. Soon, he found himself pulling her chin up with his hand. When the two were face to face, calm blue eyes with teary violet, Regal could feel the emotion pour into his mind like a waterfall. A tear slowly formed on his eye, but the former battler held it off. As he stopped the eye contact for a moment, a small mark caught his eye. It was a scratch. Regal was appalled. "How…"

"Our quarrel… turned into a fight. We…We ended up hurting each other…and Presea just left purgatory from there."

"Alicia…" His hand slowly moved to examine it but Alicia batted his hand away.

"I…I'm fi…fine." She stuttered as she struggled to hold back tears.

Regal made no move as Alicia struggled to maintain her composure. The maiden angel turned away from her lover and pulled her head down. Tears streamed down her cheeks as her body 'hicupped' from pulse-like breathing, indicating she was clearly trying to withhold the tears to no avail. Although Regal tried to comfort her, Alicia always batted him away. Finally, the blue-haired angel merely stood behind her as she sobbed silently. He sighed sullenly at the sight before him, but it wasn't because of what had happened before, it's because of what will happen later.

Soon, Alicia's sobs turned into small chokes and she finally regained her composure. Her back still faced Regal however, but it wasn't necessary to hear or talk to him. "Y…You want…to go back as well…don't you?"

Regal snapped out of his daze when he heard Alicia's voice, but his head once again hung sullenly above…what's below him. He sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry Alicia."

The maiden angel turned to face Regal, tear marks visible on her face. "Wh…Why Regal?" The former battler didn't answer and seemed to allow Alicia to probe his thoughts. Within his mind, the maiden angel witnessed various thoughts. Many of them were images of Presea as Regal recalled the majority of his memories. Her smile, laughter, despair, anger, pain, many different facial expressions, soon followed by the two together the last two years after the two worlds were reunited. However, centered within all those images Alicia found one single thought…guilt. She understood now and it was as if her sorrow had disappeared.

"Alicia…"

"I understand Regal." An insecure smile pulled on her lips. "I…I guess I was a little stubborn when Presea was here. I thought we would be together again…as sisters."

Feeling no more resistance, Regal embraced her and pulled her to his chest. "It's okay Alicia. She'll come back…We'll come back…someday."

"I know Regal." She answered as she nuzzled into his chest. "Thank you." She wormed one of her arms out of Regal's hug and opened her palm before purgatory. Regal noticed the gesture and released his embrace while the area in front of Alicia's hand grew distorted. The area before her looked as if someone was waving paper as a white light broke through the blue atmosphere. The light grew vertically like a drawn line, and as it reached Alicia's full height, it stopped. The blue atmosphere suddenly pulled outward from the white light like folds and within was a pitch black sky.

The atmosphere below Regal's feet slowly grew firm and his feet rested on level with the pathway. The large feathers of his wings slowly fluttered onto the 'floor' and faded into purgatory. Regal was no longer an angel. He was now a human.

"I guess this is good bye Alicia."

Alicia nodded. "Yes…Good bye Regal."

Just before Regal stepped through purgatory, he gave Alicia a quick kiss. "Goodbye Alicia." He uttered quietly. He walked toward the path and just as he was about to leave purgatory, Alicia stopped him.

"Wait…Regal, please tell Presea…I'm sorry." She stated. Regal nodded toward and a smile crept onto his face. He turned back to face the dark void to the living world and with a small hesitation, the battle artist stepped into the void and out of purgatory.

Alicia sighed as she slowly floated back toward the ball of light. She pulled her hands close to her heart and thought quietly to herself. 'You feel more than just guilt toward my sister Regal. You may not admit it, but I know how you feel about her.'

'Please Regal…Give my sister a chance.'

And with that, Alicia returned to Heaven and the quiet world known as purgatory, was once again left isolated and undisturbed between the worlds.

* * *

So the story continues! I thank all those readers who were patient for the update. It was a while, but I FINALLY did it! I hope this chapter was good, even with no action, I hope this was alright with everyone. 

Anyway, please review! And once agian, be patient as the story will continue with Regal and Presea attempt to stop Vharley and his evil scheme (Whatever it may be)!


	10. Awkwardness

Yeah, sorry about the long delay. Schoolwork, depression (Which has passed thank goodness), and a whole bumch of other stuff have been eating my time. Also, just the fact that I haven't been on this site in such a long time too kinda got me at this too, so sorry to keep all of you guys waiting. Anyway, here's the latest installment to Tale of the Judged.

* * *

**Replies to Reviewers: **

Luv2Game: No, I haven't noticed that it took me that long to update. I'm sorry I made you wait for so long, just som much stuff going on at home and school that I haven't got much time to work on it (Also the fact that I had little ideas of how to continue kinda sucked, and that I was beginning to question my writing abilities). I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Kuramagirl44: Heh heh, lol, at least you won't be sophomores pretty soon. Glad you liked the previous chapter, hope you like this one. (LOL, at the juniors, I'm going to be one after this summer).

**StrawberryEggs: **Yeah I know it's a little weird for Regal and Alicia to be angels, considering what they are in the TOS world. However, with all this purgatory stuff I thought it would be nice if I had them be angels since it seemed to be much better for the story. Anyway, I'm glad to see you were patient, and I won't abandon this story (hopefully anyway. I'm talking like far future assuming that schoolwork doesn't eat up my time so much).

**YojimbosBlade: **I have updated now, and I'm sorry I didn't update sooner. It's just been such a long and hard time for me the past several months.

* * *

Alright you guys, enjoy! 

Warning: There is some pervertedness in this chapter (not by Zelos).

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TOS characters or any of the Tales of series characters for that matter.**

* * *

**Chapter 10: Awkwardness**

"Mmm…" He groaned as his head throbbed with pain. Instinctively, he grasped his forehead with his right hand and massaged his temples gently, slightly alleviating the pain on the sides as he slowly opened his eyes. The harsh sun was the first thing he felt and Regal quickly turned away from the rays. His blurry vision steadily grew clearer and he was able to make out a small bedside desk and a forest green blanket over his body. The battle artist let out a gasp and a quiet scream as he grasped his abdomen in pain, stopping himself from sitting up. He lied back down on his bed and felt a bandage wrapped around his stomach, stained with crimson red blood.

Regal didn't realize why at first, but the memory flooded back to him like a torrent. The cold seawater, the shock of Indignation, the excruciating pain, he remembered everything, even Presea. He sighed and shook his head. He had failed her. A ring sounded from the bedside table, catching Regal's attention. Slowly, he reached over and pulled the phone off the receiver, and set the device by his ear.

He groaned. "Hello?"

"Master Regal, are you alright?" An old male voice asked. Regal immediately recognized it as George, one of his higher employees at Lezareno.

"I have a headache…" He rubbed his forehead. "But other than that, yes, I'm fine."

"That is good to hear Regal. The headache is rather minor compared to your other injuries. We were worried that you would never wake up."

The last sentence piqued his curiosity. "George, what do you mean?"

"Master Regal, you were in a coma for the past seven days." Regal was silent upon hearing the statement. He heard George clear his throat and take a deep breath. "Sir, when we found you in the vault, you were barely alive. We had you as well as Presea on life support and were checked by the med team 24/7 for the past five days. However, your life signs were not improving, and on the fifth day we had decided to deactivate life support for you and Presea, so that we wouldn't keep you in such horrible pain. But on the day we were to do it, we couldn't believe our eyes…" He paused and took a breath.

"George," Regal asked. "What happened?"

"Your life signs, both of yours, were rising and improving rapidly. We had originally decided to disconnect you this morning, but when we noticed this improvement, we continued to monitor you and Presea and resumed our normal routine. Master Regal, we were ally worried that you would've taken a turn for the worst, but now it felt that the Goddess Martel has answered our prayers."

Regal could tell that George was deeply relieved and happy for his recovery. The old assistant had been a member of Lezareno for a long time, even longer than Regal has, and still he treated him with as much respect as his father did. Regal groaned as the pain throbbed again, and gently rubbed his head. Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind. "George, where is Presea? How is she?"

"I believe she's resting in her room Regal. She had regained consciousness before you had, and since then she was sleeping in her room. She is alright sir." It was Regal's turn to sigh with relief.

"Thank you George." He groaned from the headache again, which was audible over the phone. "I think I'll try to get some more rest right now. This headache is excruciating."

"Very well sir. I'll tend to Lezareno while you're absent."

"Thank you." Regal placed the phone back on the receiver and set his head back on the pillow. The pain had lessened slightly but it wasn't significant enough to feel any actual change. He took a deep breath and exhaled before closing his eyes in an attempt to sleep, but it did not come. Aside from the pounding headache, Regal's thoughts dwelled on Vharley's apparent revival. He pondered how the man could've been revived and standing before them when he and Presea had witnessed him die before their eyes. The axe wound and the blunt trauma from the greaves is more than enough for a human body to handle, even with the aid of a Cruxis Crystal. Everyone knew that, even though the exspheres will allow you to fight at full potential, it does not make you invincible. There is still a certain amount of damage you can take before collapsing due to exhaustion, or worst case scenario, die. So how could it be possible for Vharley to be standing before them unscathed and seemingly more powerful, even after witnessing his death?

"Ow…"Regal muttered quietly as he grasped his head again. It seemed the pain only intensified when he thought about the situation. He turned his head so that the left side of his face was resting on the pillow but that barely helped. He tossed and turned in the bed but even so could not fall asleep nor ease his excruciating pain. Regal finally sighed and sat up on the bed. There should be some medicine in the bathroom, he thought to himself and set his feet on the floor. Before he got off the bed, he took a whiff of the salty spray of the sea, which permeated his body. "I could use a shower anyway."

Slowly, Regal walked down the hallway toward the bathroom. As he held his head in his right hand, thoughts of the situation revived within his mind, ranging from the possibilities of Vharley's revival, his plans, and many other factors, including the fate of his company. He passed the double wooden doors that led to Presea's room and upon noticing, Regal stopped before them. He reached for the brass doorknob and prepared to set foot in the room, but stopped himself before he could grasp it. Presea's probably still sleeping, so it wouldn't be a good idea to wake her up while she's recovering, so the battle artist resumed his walk down the hall.

The thoughts continued to run through his head as he made his way to the bathroom. He was especially worried about the files in the vault, more specifically, the one which was stolen. If Lezareno's company secrets were exposed to the world, some of which were illegalized decades ago, his company could be in shambles within weeks and be facing against other rival companies. The only question that could be answered by this is what file or files did Vharley steal? The battle artist continued to ponder that question as he approached the bathroom door, however, he was so preoccupied in his thoughts that he did not feel the increase in temperature as he reached the door, or the sound of running water, or the faint sound of clothes hitting the bathroom floor, and when he pushed open the door…

"Aieeee!" Regal looked up and caught a quick glimpse of the back of a pink-haired woman's toweled body before being greeted by a swift punch to the face. The impact caused him to stagger backwards and the battle artist struggled to grip something for support with one hand holding his mouth, the impact point, while another struggled to grip the sink. Numerous bottles, toothbrushes, and other various items fell to the floor as Regal's hand, in his disorientation slipped across the countertop. Presea made an audible gasp when she realized she accidentally hit Regal in self-defense, and rushed over to him as he continued to stagger backwards. "Regal, I…I'm sorry are you okay?"

The battle artist's hand finally gripped the countertop and he stopped his staggering. "I'm fine Presea, I'm sorry I didn't know…" He took a step forward only to slip on a bar of soap, sending him tripping forward toward the toweled Presea. As he began to fall forward, one of Regal's hands, by chance grabbed the edge of Presea's towel. He fell flat on his face on the tile floor, and the towel draped over his head, inhibiting his view. The late bloomer screamed and covered herself with her hands, and by this time, Regal had recovered from the fall and was lifting the towel off his head. The first thing he saw were Presea's feet, and slowly his eyes scrolled up her legs, her knees, her thighs, her…

"Augh!" He quickly covered his eyes and scooted backwards. Presea grabbed the towel from the floor and held it like a sheet over her body, concealing her front side while Regal, still blocking his sight, turned and headed out of the bathroom. However, he ran into the doorpost head on before finally stumbling out of the bathroom and landing on the soft carpeted floor.

"Owww…" The headache returned, with ten times the intensity.

* * *

Thumps echoed loudly through the mansion as Regal walked down the stairs into the kitchen. He now wore a dark blue shirt with green pants, and his hair was dripping wet from the shower. Thankfully the excruciating headache was gone, along with the foul smell of the salty sea. Also, he was glad that there was no evident mark of the punch earlier. He stopped in front of the kitchen where he saw Presea, her back facing him, eating at the table. She wore a light blue shirt and dark pants and apparently hadn't noticed Regal standing behind her. Regal breathed a sigh and strolled through the room, sharing momentary eye contact with Presea before breaking away. He was still extremely embrassed of what happened earlier, especially for a respectful man like himself to walk in on a woman when she was about to take a shower. He shook his head to rid of the thought and quickly grabbed a bowl, a box of cereal, and a spoon before setting them on the table and sitting in his seat, right across from the deadly flower. Each spoonful made a loud crunch in his mouth as the battle artist attempted to distract himself from what happened earlier and keep his mind from wandering to…other things. 

Presea looked up from her toast upon hearing the loud crunching noise and the two shared very brief eye contact before the two looked down at their food again. A small blush was beginning to grow on her cheeks as the flower tried to focus on her food and not on the little incident that occurred earlier. However, the loud crunching was beginning to annoy her, and it was growing in intensity as the man across from her was now trying to finish the food as fast as he can. She looked up from her toast slightly but once again, Regal caught her eye and the two looked downward again and resumed eating, identical blushes growing on both of their faces. After another minute of awkward eating habits, Presea slowly raised her head and cleared her throat to grab Regal's attention…

"Um Regal…" She fought internally with herself not to break eye contact, and the battle artist was doing the same. "D…Do you want some milk?"

He looked down and noticed that he hadn't poured the milk in his cereal bowl. For the past 10 minutes, he had been eating cereal without milk, and he hadn't noticed at all. "Yes…please." Presea slowly reached for the milk carton with her trembling arm and passed it over to Regal. Regal in turn, grabbed the carton and poured the white liquid in the bowl, then placed it back at the middle of the table. "Th…Thank you." The awkwardness of the situation was still getting the best of him.

"You're welcome." She responded quickly. The two resumed eating their respective breakfasts and not sharing eye contact, chewing and eating in almost utter silence for another five minutes. Finally, Regal set his spoon down and sighed.

"I...I'm sorry for what happened earlier." He simply stated. Presea's head lifted up but Regal could not see it, as his eyes were glued to the cereal and he had his hands folded before him. "I thought you were…"

"It's okay Regal." The flower replied. Regal looked up to see Presea's face and he was hesitant, if not doubtful about the reply. He wasn't expecting her to forgive him so easily, especially after nearly viewing her when she was unclothed.

"Are you sure?" He inquired.

"It's fine."

Before he could ask any further, a loud ring sounded through the mansion. Regal stood up off of the chair and walked to the phone nearby. "Hello? Yes this is me George. I'm feeling much better, thank you George." He turned his head toward Presea, who was watching curiously as Regal continued the conversation. "No, she's awake. Yes, she is alright, have you found out which file which has been stolen? Oh, I see. Well get the files repaired as soon as possible, we need to know what file they stole. Ok, call me back when you've found out, thank you George." He placed the phone back on the receiver and returned to the table.

"What'd he say?" Presea asked, trying to move past the little event.

"The files in the vault have been damaged. They were soaked in seawater when the chamber flooded so they can't determine which file was stolen by Vharley. The files are being repaired, but it will take about 9 hours before we know which file was stolen." He sighed. "Until then, we have no idea what Vharley or those men are up to."

"Do you think we should try to find him?" The flower suggested.

"It wouldn't be advised. Vharley could be anywhere by now, and I'm sure those men have only been hired for stealing that file, so it complicates confirming his location." The phone suddenly rang again and the battle artist stood up and picked up the phone. It was rather brief and ended with him saying "I'll be right there." He placed the phone back on the receiver. "There's a client from Mizuho waiting for me at the office. He says it's an important business matter." Regal headed out of the kitchen and to the front door.

"I'll come with you." Presea took one last bite of her toast and ran after him. The two took their respective wingpacks and headed outside, then after initiating their rhieards, they hopped on, and flew off for Altamira.

* * *

Yeah, sorry about the ending part. I was getting a little lazy there since I just wanted to end this chapter (I honestly hate doing dialogue, especially when it's those times where I can act it out easily but forget it within a minute I finished.) 


	11. Author's Apology and Note of the Future

Author's Note:

Hey all, this is M.Hunter Traubel Trainee speaking. First off, I SINCERELY APOLOGIZE if you (be it or singular or plural) were expecting a new chapter, instead this is merely a notice by me. I'll shed some of the bad news away in saying, that I actually HAVE A PLOT idea now, which I'm intending to follow through.

This story has originally started because of a plot I had, which wasn't that great at first. Before, being an amateur, I usually sent the stuff up when I cooked up a good idea and thought I can find ways to lead to it. However, it turned out to be a folly, and thus, this was why this story, along with several others have been collecting dust in my electronic work bins (figuratively speaking of course).

Anyway, I've got something planned this time around. While the EVENTS that have already occurred are already set in stone due to the story, I'll follow along with it. Allow me to take this time to explain what has happened during this long needed absence. I'll briefly explain what had gone through my mind.

When I first started this story, my plot revolved around the revival of Rodyle. This of course, also involved Vharley and Kuchinawa, whose lives were connected to the main characters of this story Regal and Presea. As those who were still around early enough to see, I have updated relatively quickly, almost one chapter a week. This was when I had fresh ideas and knew how I wanted it to go, including the 'fake deaths' of Regal and Presea. However, as you could've guessed, I hit writer's block afterward. I knew what I wanted to do, but afterward, I couldn't think how I wanted to lead up to it. So, due to my own laziness, writer's block, and unwillingness to work, I let this collect the dust for a while.

Now that I have decided to look back at it, I've spent the several past weeks planning things. New ideas, scenes, battles, etc…Everything I had planned from the start is now gone out the window. I am not planning to edit what I already have set up, for that would be a total waste of effort just to rewrite it.

Of course, I've also 'matured' in a writer's sense. Many of my stories in the beginning, including several TOS saga stories, were ones which I had thought from the beginning and rushed to production. However, now, I am planning and sketching out the skeletons of them, so that I at least have some structure. This was what has been happening over the past few weeks with this story, I've resketched, redrawn, and rethought of the plot.

The old plot, the one with Rodyle being the mastermind behind everything, has now been destroyed. In place of that, I am bringing forth a new plot. For the time being, here's what you, readers, can expect.

New characters, protagonists and antagonists.

The return of Kuchinawa

Cameo roles by the other main characters. They will not be essential to the plot for I am planning to keep this revolved around Regal and Presea (sorry to those who were expecting different)

New Summon Spirits, and you don't need a summoner just for pacts anymore.

Technology, technology, technology. It will play a semi-important role in the story. You're not going to see something like Regal using guns or what not, but there will be weapons like such in the story.

A Renegades like organization.

Exspheres will play a semi-important role again here.

Introduction of a few new concepts, some will definitely sound familiar if you played other games 'sides Tales.

Rodyle WILL NOT appear in the story

Mithos will NOT be an antagonist nor important character. He may get a reference, but other than that, not much else.

And for now, that's what you can look forward to. Of course, they will come in due time, but for now, I hope this is ok. I apologize again for those who were actually expecting a chapter, but please know I'm planning, and will try to update it within a few weeks.

Thank you.

M. Hunter Traubel Trainee.


	12. A Fresh Start

Wow, after that little post it note I made, I finally got a new chapter up. Okay I won't say much this time other than I added my own little touches to this (I hope it doesn't wreck up the story too much). This chapter took me a pretty long time, and I have to extend my thanks to a special friend who has helped me edit this.

* * *

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Tales of Symphonia franchise, nor the characters.  
**_

* * *

**Chapter 11: A Fresh Start (in more ways than one)**

The elevator ascended and in moments, the bell sounded. The door opened on the President's floor, and standing before Regal and Presea was George and a middle aged man, who was dressed in formal Mizuhoan robes. Before the two turned their attention to the new arrivals, they appeared to be having a discussion.

"Ah, Master Regal, Miss Presea, you have arrived." The assistant greeted.

"Is this our client from Mizuho?" Regal asked.

"Yes sir. He is a mister Tiga from Mizuho. I believe you've met him in the past."

Regal smiled. "That is true. Tiga," He greeted. "It is good to see you again."

The aged shinobi returned a bow. "As to you Regal, it's been a long time." He looked at the young pink-haired woman wearing the sky blue shirt and dark pants. "Ah, forgive my rudeness ma'am, but are you an acquaintance of President Bryant?"

Presea smiled. "It's me, vice-chief, Presea Combatir." She answered. "I had the Cruxis Crystal's effect negated the past few years."

Tiga's eyes widened. He peered over at Regal, who only gave a nod, confirming Presea's statement. He looked back at the mature flower. "I see…Please excuse my error, Miss Combatir."

She nodded and giggled a little at his formality. "It's alright."

He smiled. "Although, I must correct you on an error; I am no longer the Vice-Chief of New Mizuho. My position has been succeeded by Orochi; I am now just a regular shinobi of New Mizuho."

"Oh," Presea said upon hearing, "I apologize for my mistake."

"It's alright." He cleared his throat. "Now then, if I may, President Bryant," he turned his attention to the president of Lezareno. "I am aware that you have a conflict at hand, about one of your files."

The battle artist nodded. "Yes, that's correct."

"Well, I have come with a proposal from Chief Sheena. She believes that it will be beneficial to you, your company, and us as well." Tiga stated.

"What is the proposal?" Presea asked.

The shinobi paused. "Unfortunately, I cannot disclose those details at this moment."

"Mister Tiga has requested you and Master Regal to accompany him to New Mizuho in discussion of the proposal Presea. That is why he has come here. Unfortunately, he said that the contract and agreement should be completed in New Mizuho, under the supervision of the chief and vice-chief." George explained.

Tiga nodded. "Yes, I apologize for this inconvenience, but it is what Chief Sheena has requested. This has been a recent enactment because of our current situation."

"What's wrong?" Regal asked.

Tiga shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I cannot disclose that information either, for it pertains to our contract. If you want to know what exactly is going on, you must accompany me to New Mizuho."

"What is your decision Master Regal?" George asked. The battle artist was silent and looked over at the mature flower, who gave an approving nod.

"Very well Tiga, we'll accompany you to New Mizuho." Regal stated.

Tiga thanked Regal, and the two men, as well as Presea, headed out of the office and outside. They unpacked their rhieards from their wing packs and flew off for New Mizuho.

* * *

Since the reunification of Symphonia, new land masses and foundations had formed to accommodate the former adolescent worlds of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla. One of them, a small, yet lush mountain, served as the new, relocated refuge for the Mizuho shinobis. The foundation had been set around the middle, lower than the high summit, yet a ways above the foot of the mountain, which simultaneously provided prosperity and protection. Chief Igaguri had stated this as his wish, and shortly after the village had successfully relocated, the village was called New Mizuho, and Sheena Fujibayashi, granddaughter of the former Chief, was named its chief. The mountain had been renamed Mount Igaguri shortly afterward, in honor of the late chief as well as the dominant style that reigned through New Mizuho.

The three rhieards circled through the clear sky and closed in on the stone landing pad down below. A large foreign character was painted in white over the polished blue stone, and slowly, the three rhieards descended toward the pad. Regal and Presea hopped off their rhieards and returned them to their wing packs. Tiga, on the other hand, took his time, being older than the two. Once he had set himself on the stone landing pad, he returned his rhieard into his own wing pack and urged the two to follow him. He led them up a long stairway made of stone, embedded within the grassy slope that led upward towards a large gate-like structure. Fences lined the sides as long grass waved with the winds, gently weaving through the air and making a rattling noise with each breeze.

As they approached the top of the stairs, the structure ahead became clearer with each step up. Two large posts of wood stretched upward, and near the two, an intricate pattern was carved on the one slab that connected the two together, the pattern representing a character painted in a violet purple. In the Mizuho language, it said '_Fujibayashi'._ Tiga hid a smile once he, Presea, and Regal had made it to the great welcome gate. "President Bryant, Miss Combatir, welcome to New Mizuho."

_**New Mizuho**_

_**Village of the Shinobis**_

"Please wait while I inform Chief Sheena and Vice-Chief Orochi of your arrival." Tiga walked off toward the lone hut that overlooked the rest of the village, linked by a single stair case made of stone. As the two watched the aged shinobi head for the hut, their eyes took in the sights before them of New Mizuho.

"Do you want to take a look around?" Presea asked, seeing the numerous huts scattered over the green hills.

"Certainly," Regal responded. The two walked around the new village for some time, moving routinely from the dirt paths to stone staircases as they traversed across one level of the area onto another. Huts and small houses were scattered across the green grassy hills of the village, all on the sides of the dirt roads and being simplistic in design and material. Men, women, and children passed by the two visitors, all wearing traditional Mizuho garb, the civilians wearing a loose fitting robe-like garment, while the shinobis wore tight silk clothes. In the distance, several fields could be seen, each filled with either growing grains and vegetation, or flat plains with shinobis in training. Even further, down the river was a large lake with a pier coming from the edge. Five wooden boats floated in the middle of the lake, each filled with two fishermen as they reeled in their catch of the day. As a whole, New Mizuho looked more like a hidden country village in comparison to its predecessor.

**Z-SKIT: Mizuho expansion**

"I'm surprised that Mizuho has expanded like this in such a short time." Presea said with a little surprise as she looked toward a training field.

"Yes, it certainly is surprising. Before, Mizuho was barely the size of Ozette, but now it looks to be nearly twice its size." He closed his eyes and smiled slightly. "Sheena must have a lot of responsibility on her shoulders. With a village this size, she must have more duties than being simply an overseer."

"She must also be concerned with food, shelter, resources, and the maintenance of New Mizuho. It sounds demanding enough that she has to make sure her village is safe from intruders and outsiders."

"That's true, but I believe that she has a lesser burden than we may believe."

Presea looked quizzically at Regal. "Why do you say that?"

"I believe it's because Mizuho is a supportive community. Mizuho is not a village full of individualists who are out for their own well-being, it's a village where the occupants support and depend on one another for survival and prosperity. Although Sheena would have to share the heaviest of burden, it is lightened because the villagers are all supportive and helping her in as many ways as they can."

The flower smiled upon hearing. "That does make sense. If this entire village was full of individualists, then it would look just like any other city. Crime, greed, and scandal would be present and thrive everywhere, which would ultimately cause this village to be an individualistic society."

"Indeed." The two were silent as Regal uttered his last word.

_**END SKIT**_

The two walked for another ten minutes in New Mizuho, around the harvest fields bearing grains and vegetables, and to the large fishing pond up by the waterfall, filled with numerous fish. The two eventually came to a small dirt circle, just past the waterfall and to the side of the hills. Black smoke rose into the sky and orange sparks jumped from the fire colored metals. Iron and steel manufactured items sat on several stands before the simple workshop, the weapons and armor glinting off of the sunlight, unlike the men who worked under the shade of the straw-thatched roof. Regal and Presea had come to a blacksmith, one of the few areas where New Mizuho smiths and crafters created and tempered weapons, armor, and for some, customizations.

"Ah, you must be the visitors from outside." A voice called from behind. Regal and Presea turned their heads quickly to see a young, well-built man with spiked black hair riddled with sweat. He wiped his forehead with his soot-covered forearm, returning his hand to his blue apron after his white leather glove, which was speckled black from the sparks, came in contact with the sweat. Before the two could question his identity, the man continued with a smile. "Word of mouth travels quickly here, so I'm not surprised to see you here in our industry area."

"It's true that we are the visitors here, but tell us, who might you be?" Regal asked.

The man blinked for a moment, his blue eyes flashing in the sun. "Oh, please excuse me. My name's Teguki. I'm the manager of the blacksmith and customization shop, 'Falcon's Nest'."

"I see. So then you specialize in weapons and armor craftsmanship?" Presea asked.

"You can say that. My fellow workers and I created many different items for the village, not just weapons and armor. Simple items such as pots, pans, and pipes require nothing but simple ore; however, weapons and armor require more sophisticated material. If you come across them, I'll be happy to craft you a helpful armament." Teguki looked at the two and while doing so, took off his glove, placing his chin in his now, clean, bare hand. "Hmm…If I can guess correctly, you sir, are a martial artist who specializes in using your feet correct?"

"Yes that's right." Regal confirmed. The greaves should've been a dead giveaway.

"Do you practice the Traubel style?" Teguki pressed further. Regal was surprised by his deduction and nodded. Then, he turned to Presea. "And as for you miss, I'm assuming you use a very powerful but heavy weapon, most likely an axe, correct?"

"How…" Presea said with a little surprise, seeing how she had no weapon in plain view. With her axe and her tomahawks in her wing pack, she was surprised the ninja could discern what weapon she had used.

"I can tell by the muscles in your arms, they are more developed than usual fighters, which would indicate that you use a weapon that is heavier than normal." He smiled at his knowledge of weapons. "But enough of that, you came at an excellent time." He walked under the thatched roof and a short while later, Teguki returned with two items in hand. One was a pair of dual-sided ridge shaped blades, similar to a set of teeth. The points of the blades curved to the sides, giving it a dangerous serrated edge that made it perfect for shredding and cutting. In his other was a large scythe, the long silver staff ending with a medium-sized curved blade. The curve was small and the blade was no longer than two feet, but it was tempered well to be balanced and effective as a weapon instead of a farm tool. "These weapons were recently crafted by us at the blacksmith. I had originally planned to present these to Chief Fujibayashi, but I would like to know if they are effective weapons first."

He handed the weapons to the two and stepped back. Regal took the 'teeth' blades and grasped the smooth end, his finger catching the hooks at the side, which were to strap onto his boots. Presea ran her hand over the smooth metal staff and the top of the blade, letting her fingers run over the cold brown staff and the forged blade. "Well," Regal started. "These are finely crafted weapons Teguki, but neither Presea nor I want to break them or wear them out."

"It's alright." He replied. "We can use it to determine if they are strong enough to withstand breaking as well."

"But these weapons are well crafted. The chances of them breaking are at most ten percent." Presea countered. "I don't think they'll break, but if you present it to Sheena in the condition we return it in-"

"We can refine it and repair it after you're finished. Please, I understand your concerns but consider them a gift from us. If they are effective weapons, I'll let you keep them; they aren't hard to manufacture."

The two remained silent for a moment before nodding. "Very well, we'll give you our input once we're finished," The battle artist stated.

"Thank you. There's an empty training field on the western side of the village. You can use that area for practice."

**Acquired _Tiger's Teeth_**

**Acquired _Shinobi Scythe_**

"Thank you very much." Teguki enunciated. Regal and Presea returned the thanks and the two headed for the practice field, making their way through the village once again.

The two had reached the middle of New Mizuho, just below the Chief's Hut by two levels, when the mature flower recalled the time. "Regal, do you think they could be looking for us?"

Regal continued walking, the _Tiger's Teeth _making a light clinking noise with each step. "How long has it been?"

"Exactly thirty minutes and ten seconds." She replied analytically as she held her scythe behind her back.

The battle artist paused, taken slightly aback by the response. "Hmm, they should be. It normally doesn't take this long to arrange a meeting, nor would it to find us from the top of the hills."

"We should stop by then. There may have been a miscommunication between Tiga and us." The flower suggested.

The battle artist nodded. "Good idea. The feedback can wait; for now we should focus on our objective."

The two retraced their steps to the last stone set of stairs and began to head for the hut, taking the closest stairway up as they walked past the crowds. Soon, the lone house was well in view, only a staircase away.

"Yumi, I can help you."

"No, I can't ask this of you."

The conversation came from the side of the stairs, catching the attention of the battle artist.

"- need it for your son. Please, just take it; you don't need to pay me back."

"Thank you Sato, but no, I don't intend to buy drugs, this won't cover it."

"Yumi…"

As Presea reached the midpoint of the stairs, she stopped and turned, noticing Regal's attention on the hut to the side.

"What's wrong, Regal?" She asked.

"I believe there's a conflict present in that hut." He answered, directing his attention toward the house closest to them.

**_Do you want to investigate further? (Option A)_**

**_We shouldn't eavesdrop on conversations, Regal (Option B)  
_**

**(Option A)**

"Do you want to investigate further?" Presea asked.

"The woman sounds distressed; I think we should at least see if we can help her."

"I see, but let's get closer so we can here the conversation better."

"Good idea. Stick to the hedges and stay below the window," he instructed.

**(Option B)**

"We shouldn't eavesdrop on conversations, Regal." Presea said with some accusation.

Regal sighed. "I know, I apologize, but it was on accident. However, from what I caught, the woman is very distressed."

"Hmm, what did it sound like?"

"It sounded like…"

**_(THESE OPTIONS ARE ONLY POSSIBLE IF YOU HAVE CHOSEN OPTION B, THUS WHY THERE'S A 'B-' BEFORE EACH INDIVIDUAL LETTER)_**

**_A drug transaction (Option B-A)_**

**_A feud about money (Option B-B)_**

**_An argument about a child's wellbeing (Option B-C)_**

**_I'm not sure (Option B-D)_**

Let's just listen, we won't confirm it unless we hear it (Option B-E)

(**Option B-A)**

"A drug transaction." Regal finished.

The flower looked at the battle artist with a stupefied look. "Regal, that is quite frankly the dumbest thing I ever heard."

"I understand it sounds farfetched, but I believe an illegal substance may be involved. I heard the word 'drug' used in the conversation, so we can't rule out that possibility."

"They use that word to describe medicine too, Regal. What makes you think they are actually using that to refer to illegal substances?"

"We cannot confirm it unless we continue to listen. Let's remain hidden and continue to eavesdrop until we can confirm my inference."

Presea sighed. "I think this will be a waste of time."

**(Option B-B)**

"A feud about money." Regal finished.

"Money? Are you sure, Regal?" Presea asked quizzically.

"I'm quite sure. I heard the two discuss something about money; I couldn't hear everything, but I'm sure it is involved." He answered.

The flower paused before her next response. "That's a broad assumption, Regal. Can you make a more specific inference?"

Regal shook his head. "Unfortunately, no; We can only confirm it if we continue to eavesdrop on them."

"Then let's do it. We can move up toward that window while we remain hidden to get in closer range of the conversation."

**(Option B-C)**

"An argument about a child's wellbeing." Regal finished.

Presea looked with some shock. "Really, are you sure?"

"I would assume so. The woman mentioned her son and drugs, by which I assume she meant medicine."

"It sounds serious; do you want to keep listening?"

"I believe we can help them, so yes. However, for now, let's keep out of sight. We can continue listening from those bushes by that window."

"Okay."

**(Option B-D)**

Regal sighed. "I'm not sure. I couldn't get enough information from the conversation."

"Do you think it's a serious matter, Regal?" Presea asked.

"I can't be certain. We can only be sure if we listen closely. If we move up to those bushes and remain out of sight, I believe we'll be in optimal hearing range." Regal explained.

Presea looked a little stunned. "I don't recall agreeing to eavesdrop with you, Regal." She sighed with annoyance.

**(Option B-E)**

Regal shook his head. "Let's just listen; we won't confirm it unless we hear it."

Presea remained silent. "Regal, we can't just eavesdrop on the conversation, you don't have a strong basis or support for this action."

"I understand, but as my family has always said, 'In business, we can never take any chances with any transaction'. We'll only be able to confirm the point of the conversation if we listen closely."

"I can understand that Regal, but wouldn't eavesdropping be considered 'taking a chance'?" Presea asked.

The battle artist paused before he made his response. He sighed, "Presea, just help me out." He turned back to the house. "We will be in optimal hearing range if we stay low in the bushes and close to the window, and are careful to remain out of sight."

"I know…" Presea responded with annoyance.

**_(BACK TO MAIN STORY)_**

The two quietly walked toward the hut, careful not to make a sound that would alert their presence. They slowly crawled on the grass and crept toward the window, and as they knelt beneath it, they listened closely to the conversation.

"Yumi, Hari's fever is not going to go down unless we get him some medicine." A young male voice said with concern.

"I know Sato, but what can I do?" A female voice replied. "I don't have enough money to buy the medicinal drugs for my son, and I can't go into Zimhuo Woods because of the monsters that have suddenly appeared."

"I told you before, Yumi, they are very lenient. I know this isn't enough to buy what you need, but if you tell them about Hari, I'm sure they'll allow it." There was a brief silence. "Yumi, please, do this for your son. I'll make it up to the clerks in your place."

"No Sat,." The woman said. "It isn't fair to everyone else. If I get something for free, while everyone else has to pay, then it isn't fair to them. Besides, I can't just leave Hari here." She sighed. "His symptoms are getting worse. If I leave him be, then I'm afraid…"

There was a series of light coughs. "M…Mother…" A weak male voice called. To the eavesdropping pair, it sounded to be in the young teens, perhaps twelve to fourteen years of age.

Light, diminishing footsteps were heard as Regal and Presea glanced at each other. Both were now curious what was happening, other than what they had surmised. A woman named Yumi has to tend to her son Hari who is ill, however she didn't have the money needed to buy him medicine, nor was she willing to if she will get it for a cheaper price or for free.

_**(If OPTION B-A WAS CHOSEN)**_

Presea looked at Regal with a small glare. "It SOUNDED like a drug transaction?" She asked with mockery and irritation.

The battle artist sighed. "I'm sorry."

**_(IF OPTION B-B WAS CHOSEN)_**

"It sounds like money is involved, although I don't think that was the point of the conversation." Presea whispered.

"I know." Regal sighed. "I apologize for my errors."

"It's alright; at least we know we can help."

_**(IF OPTION B-C WAS CHOSEN)**_

"It looks like you were right." Presea whispered. "The woman Yumi sounds like she needs the medicine to help her son."

"Indeed. We can stop by at the shopping area and pick up some for her." Regal responded.

"Do we have enough for that Regal?" She asked.

"Yes, I think so."

_**(IF OPTION B-D OR B-E WAS CHOSEN)**_

"This sounds serious…I doubt the boy will survive if he isn't given any medication." Regal stated quietly.

"Do we have enough to provide for the medicine needed?" Presea asked.

He nodded. "Yes, we do. Let's hurry and buy some now."

"Right."

**(_BACK TO THE MAIN STORY…AGAIN)_**

"What?!" Regal and Presea instinctively winced. They ducked down again and remained as still as possible, internally hoping that they hadn't been caught. The female voice screamed again. "Maku went into the woods?!"

The two shared a glance and listened closely, barely catching the words of the teen as he coughed. "I'm sorry Mother cough cough I pro- coughmised him that I wouldn't tell. Cough Cough I'm COOOOUGH worried about him."

"How long has he been gone?" The older man asked.

"It's been almost an hour; if he's been gone that long in the forest then he could be…" She stopped.

"Y-Yumi, don't think about that. I'm sure he's alright. Even if there are monsters, he's been well-trained by Hari; I'm sure Maku can easily fight them off." Another pause as the battle artist and the matured flower listened. "I'll…I'll inform the chief about this immediately. Yumi, which part of the woods could Maku be in?" Regal and Presea felt another pause, and the two tensed as they listened closely, the two thinking the exact same motion. "Yumi?" The voice asked again.

After another brief pause, the woman spoke. "He…He could be in the lower part of the woods, down the side of this mountain. I…I took him with me one time to show him the herbs that grew there…H-He might be looking for them around there."

Sato gave a sigh. "Okay, thank you…Yumi, I promise we'll bring back Maku alive. I'm sure he's alright, we just need to find him."

Regal glanced at Presea. "Let's go." He whispered.

"Yeah." The two quickly got off their knees and ran down the paths toward the lowest level of the village, where a single path led toward the Zimhuo Woods.

* * *

**Inventory:**

**_Tiger's Teeth_**

_A weapon with razors designed like the teeth of a ferocious tiger._

_**Shinobi's Scythe**_

_A balanced scythe. It's been redesigned for fighting instead of farming._

* * *

Please post your reviews! Thank you for reading!_  
_


End file.
